Paul calleth the Church so surely on a Rock as Hell-gates Heresies to wit Schismes Scandals Persecutions or any hellish power else should not prevail against it as he expressily promised if he Mat. 6. likewise intended to remain with it to the worlds end by his power to wit of guiding and protecting it if he Mat. 28. performed his repealed promises of sending the holy Ghost to abide ever with it for no other end but to coÌ„fort Jo. 16. 17. guide and lead it unto all truth how without blasphemy and plainly accusing him of falsehood in his promises Can any Christian affirm her to have been idolatrous and Antichristian in her Religion for many ages together evacuating so the glory of Contra Luciferianos our Saviours Crosse saith St. Hierâ—m and subjecting himself to the Devill as able to bereave him of his Church and Kingdome God forbid saith the same Father that Christ should be said to have died in vain and his Passion become at any time fruitlesse and ineffectuall to save us No no the eternal Fathers promise is fulfilled willing his Son to ask him and he would give for an inheritance all nations of the Gentiles unto him and the utmost bounds of the earth for his possession Esay 62. called therefore by the Prophet Esay Lord of the whol earth and it will be Apoâ— 7. a joâ—fâ—ll and eternall cry of Saints in Heaven Thou hast redeemed us O Lord God out of every Tribe Tongue and People c. So as I may say here to Protestants what St. Optatus told the Donatists if you seek to shut up the Catholick and Universal Church into corners and Lib. 2. coâ—tra Parmenionem seclude all nations besides your selves from the communion thereof where is that then which the Son of God hath merited for us How then will his Fathers promise be fulfilled of giving all Nations unto him Why do you infringe his promise and seek to streighten his ample Kingdom why do you deny his Fathers great love and bounty to him why do you war against his merits and not permit him to enjoy what was promised unto him why do you limit to places and times his Universal and everlasting Dominion Wherefore to finde out this true Church of Christ and distinguish the same from heretical conventicles and Congregations the Apostles in their Creed and the two first general Councels of Nice and Constantinople have fitly assigned these foure marks of being one holy Catholick and Apostolical which no other Church but ours can in their true sence colourably claim here briefly declared by me She is said to be one and the same in her Faith amongst all Nations communicating Lib. de unitat Ecclâ—s with her so that illuminated by our Lord saith St. Cyprian as a Sun she spreadeth her Rayes throughout the world yet so as her light is one as a fruitful Vine she extendeth widely forth her branches but as from one root and body which they grow in as a full and flowing fountain she powreth out her streams yet so as there is still one head and origine of them And according to St. Optatus his comparison the multitude of particular Churches remaineth in her as many fingers in one hand distant in places but united in Doctrine for that the very name of a Church importeth Union and collection of many together in faith government and practices of Religion as all those things do unto which Christs Church is likened for example to a kingdom to a City to a house or family to a flock to a body consisting of different members ordered and compacted together She is one by a continuall Succession of Pastors and faithfull people in her still professing the same faith whereas Hereticks are choosers of what they will believe and divided into so many sects as there are heads almost amongst them She is called holy as the mysticall body of Christ vivificated by his holy Spirit governed by a holy Law sanctified by Sacraments continually by him having none but faithfull servants of their divine Lord remaining within her amongst whom there are still to be found many holy Persons whilest others are like fruitlesse branches in a Vine and dead members in a living body She is said to be Catholick for her large extent embracing many Countryes and Kingdomes of the world united in faith and governed by her so that she is still greater than any sort or Sect of Hereticks opposite unto her She is Apostolical in her descent as being able to prove her Origine from the Apostles themselves according to Tertullians prescription saying The Apostles founded Churches in divers Cities and appointed Bishops to govern them and from these latter Churches by receiving and persevering in their faith become Apostolical also which prescription is used by ancient Irenaeus instancing against Hereticks Lib. 3. c. 3. lib. 4. c. 36. of his time the succession of Roman Bishops in one Sea and Faith without any mutation different from that first professed by them St. Optatus likewise and St. Austin have done the samâ— and pressed the Donatists with this prescription who like to the Hereticks of this time wanted antiquity and had no unity amongst them Wherefore our Adversaries fly from those ancient marks of a true Church and assign two others of their own devising true preaching of Gods word and a due administration of Sacraments against which we object first that the essence rather than the sigâ—es of a true Church consisteth in them Secondly that all sorts of Hereticks do equally claim them so as no Church can be known to be a true Church certainly by them Thirdly that any man desirous to be a Christian must first know the Church before he can know the truth of her Doctrine c. Fourthly that this judgement of the Churches true doctrine and due manner of administration of Sacraments cannot be made by ordinary persons but by such as are learned whereas the signâ—s of a Church are to direct all sorts of persons to the knowledge of her Fiftly these marks may be found amongst Schismaticks damnably separated from a Catholick and charitable communion with other Christians as S. Austin in sundry places proved against the Donatists who at their first rising at least wanted neither a true Doctrine nor Sacraments but a will onely to live peaceably with their Brethren so as to speak truly Protestants have purposely devised these marks of a Church as otherwise knowing that the great division which is amongst them in points and practises of faith novelty of rising the smalness of their extent hitherto in the world and want of pastorall succession would convince them to be a rabble onely of Hereticall Conventicles jarring one against another Yet rather than they will admit ours to be the true Church of Christ in whom these signes may be found confessedly by themselves and all predictions of the Prophets exactly fulfilled concerning the amplitude glory and continuance of Christs
Hebrew and translated by his Grand-childe into Greek as appeareth by his short Prologue before it worthily called by some Authors Panaretes a receptacle to wit or store-house of all vertues fit to instruct all sorts of Persons and containing as I have said of Sapientia Salomons dispersed Sentences diligently by the Author collected held by some also to have been one of the 72. Translators and divinely inspired to write this book cited for Scripture by St. Clement of Alexandâ—ia by Origen Lib. 1. paedagogi c. 8. hom 8. in numer homil 1. in Ezechiel Oâ—at 2. in Julianum by S. Cyprian de opere Elcemosina by S. Athanasius in Synopsi li. de virginitate by S. Basil in regulis disputatis responsione 114. by S. Gregory Nazianzen by S. Epiphanius heresi 76 in Anchorato by S. Hilari by S. Ambrose by S. Chrysostome by S. Austin and sundry in Psal 144 lib. de bono mortis c. 8. other chief Fathers yet able to prevaile nothing at all with men heretically swayed to the contrary So as the Nicene Councels Decree about the Book of Judith is slighted also and regarded nothing at all by them The second Controversie Of Christs Catholick Church in generall not colourably now amongst Protestants The first Part. FOr a good beginning of this Controversie I wish my Reader if he be no Catholick seriously to consider with himself how much it importeth him to finde out Christs true Church and to make himself a member thereof because a Christian man saith S. Austin ought not to fear any thing more than to be separated from Christs mysticall body for that so he remaineth no more a member of him nor can he be quickned with his holy Spirit nor receive any Li. de unit Ecclâ— Light or Life of Grace from him they remain not saith St. Cyprian with God who live not concordiously in the Church of his Son for should any out of the same fry in flames that Death would be no crown of Faith but a punishment of infidelity such may be killed but not crowned This Church was to be that Hill cap. 1. of our Lord prepared on the top of mountains which Esay spake of raised above other hills whereunto the Gentiles should flow as a Sea saying unto each other come let us ascend unto the hill of our Lord and to the house cap. 54. of Jacob to wit Christ and his Church c. willed by the same Prophet to inlarge the place of her Tents to spread out the Curtains of her habitation for that she should increase on the right hand and on the left and cap. 60. that her Seed should possesse the Gentiles that her gates should be open day and night and never shut that the people might enter continually into her that Kings should be her cap. 42. nursing Fathers and Queens her Mothers c. And it cannot be doubted but whatsoever is spoken in the Psalms and Prophets in a hundred severall places concerning the propagation greatnesse glory and continuance of Christs Church and Kingdome here on earth wherein all Psal 71. 2. Princes to the ends thereof were to adore him and Nations serve him hath been and shall be accordingly fulfilled To say therefore as commonly our Adversaries print in their Books and preach in their Pulpits that this once glorious and Catholickly dilated Church of Christ hath fallen away from the true faith and service of him by becomming Antichristian Idolatrous and abominable in her Rights and Superstitions some say 800. some say 1000. some 1360. years together yea and to have declined in her Doctrines from the very time of the Apostles first Planters thereof and onely Enarrat in Psal 101. to have remained in a few hidden Believers of Protestancy but not daring to professe it in our Churches is as S. Austin termed it a most false temerarious blasphemous and witlesse assertion contradicted by many plain Predictions of the Prophets Promises of Christ himself shewing that this City built upon a hill cannot be hidden that this Tabernacle of God placed in the Sun to illuminate the world with the heavenly Rayes of her doctrine cannot be obscured That the bloud of Christ once shed to redeem souls shall never for that purpose be fruitlesse and un-effectuall That Hell gates shall never prevaile to overthrow that building by himself on a rock firmly established against them That Gods Covenant made with men to save the world by his Sons death and passion should never be frustrated and made void by any power of the Devill or wickednesse amongst them Because God himself speaking thereof saith thus The heavens shall Esay c. 9. vanish away like smoak the earth also shall â—remble and wear away like a garment but my salvation shall last for ever and my justice shall never fail and again saith he I will place my tabernacle amongst men and be their God and they shall be my people and the Gentiles shall know that I am their Lord when my sanctification shall be for ever amongst them Daniel likewise speaking of Christ saith That his power shall be an everlasting power and his kingdome shall never be broken or taken from him Cap. 2. Micheas also speaketh most plainly of Christs Church whereunto cap. 4. all people shall flow and our Lord shall raign over them for ever Our Redeemer saith Esay shall come and remove all iniquity from Jacob and this saith God shall be my league my spirit which is in thee speaking to his Son and the words which I cap. 59. have put into thy mouth shall not depart from it nor from the mouth of thy seed nor from the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever Which Texts so plainly proveth the continuance of Christs Church and the truth of heavenly Doctrine therein remaining to the worlds end as Calvin himself in his Exposition thereon writeth thus Here God promised that the Church should never be deprived of that inestimable blessing of being still govern'd by the holy Ghost and maintained in the truth of heavenly doctrine because it would have little availed us to have had the Gospel once preached or the holy Ghost for a time onely given unto us unlesse he remain continually with us c. Wherefore our Lord promised here to remain still with his Church and to have a care that it shall never be deprived of true Doctrine which being Calvins own words may well serve to shew his plain contradictions in other places about the Churches having faln away for many ages together from the truth of heavenly doctrine first planted in her and to prove likewise that all pretended reformers of her catholick and ever continued faith have been impostors onely and produced nought else but hereticall innovations from the first to the last of them For if Christ had a will and power to build this house of God and firm foundation of truth as St.
your calling is naught and pernitious to Christs Church The like is written by Amandus Polanus Andreas Musculus and other chief Protestant Writers And therefore the holy Fathers St. Athanasius St. Hilary St. Hierom St. Austin and Tertullian doubted not to call such as took upon them ecclesiastical ministeries without being lawfully called unto them false Prophets Wolves in sheeps garments theeves entring not by the doore to kill and destroy the flock of Christ Children without fathers c. Those Lib. 4. c. 43. saith St. Irenaeus being onely true Doctors and securely in Christs Church to be followed who with the truth of heavenly Doctrine have had their Succession from the Apostles The Ordination likewise of these men was and is still suitable to their Vocation in all Sects and Assemblies Lib. de doctrina moribus Secta of them of which George Wicelius a learned man who lived in Luthers time and saw the beginnings of them writeth thus They reject the Roman Rite of Ordination and without more ado he whom the Visitors like is sufficiently called to the ministery elected and ordered amongst them Neither is their manner of Ordination yet fully agreed upon so as since that time several Sects therein observe different fashions and particularly amongst the Calvinists the Elders are to choose and approve such as are to be ordered and together with their Ministâ—r Impose their hands on them wherâ—in their Oâ—dination chiefly consistâ—th neither holy nor much to be regarded according to Lutherâ— Doctrine who to vilifiâ— the Sacrament of Oâ—der and take away all use thereof in Christs Church expresly affirmeth all sorts of Persons men women and children to be in their very Baptisme mâ—dePriests and Bishops admitting no Tom. 2. Witâ—enbâ—rgensâ— sol 90. l. de capt Babiloniâ—a distinction at all between Clergie men and Lay persons as Tertullian in his Prescriptions said of Hereticks in his time One is a Bishop this day and none to morrow another a Priest now that was none yesterday for that all amongst them are admitted to Priestly Functions Neither doth Luther stay his madnesse here but saith that the Devil himself in humane shape may conescrate the holy Eucharist and administer other Sacraments if he will have a right intention therein and do what Christ commanded neither saith he would I lay a wager to the contrary but that he hath at one time or other plaid so the part of a Pastor perchance in their Churches who have scarcely any thing but Baptism sacred amongst them Lastly Concerning Church-government and particularly that of Geneva craftily devised by Calvin to gain therby to himself and his Ministers the government of that City as Hooker in his Preface of his Ecclesiastical Policy modestly declareth it and Bancrost more roundly relateth the manner thereof I may after many learned mens judgements written of the same rightly affirm it to be a politick confusion of Civil and Ecclefiastical power together A diabolical invention of establishing Christ in his Throne as they term it but indeed of disturbing the peace of States and subverting the government of Christian Kingdomes under a colour of propagating the Gospel insomuch as Bullenger who had somewhat holpen Calvin in his erection thereof seeing the inconveniences ensuing from the same and writing to the Bishops of England compared these Consistorial Lords not in title but in power to the seditious Tribunes of Rome wont to gain power and honour unto themselves by moving tumults amongst the people Gualterus likewise his successor in Zuirick admonished in one letter the Bishop of London and in another the Bishop of Eli to look in time to that Genevian Hydra rising then with new heads amongst them in whose Consistories each Minister hath Pretorial and Episcopal power enjoyned together as able with his ignorant Elders to examine and punish with Excommunication first and greater penalties after wards if he be not obeyed all sorts of Delinquents And these Elders are in Cities Towns and Vilages for the most part ignorant Tradsmen chosen and put in authority for a year onely and then returned to their shops again without any manner at all of consecration yet able that year whilest they are in Office to determine with their Ministers and conclude seditious Councels of War against Princes and States which they live in of which France Flaunders Scotland Poland and other places are able to affoâ—d dreadfull examples And in setting up this Destruction as I may rightly â—erm it of all antient Church government Calvin hath misappliâ—d the word Presbyter and givâ—n it to his Elders For albeiâ— according to the Greâ—k and Grammâ—tical signification thereof it may signifie any Eâ—dâ—â— in agâ— or authority yet according to thâ— Ecclesiastical and sacred use thereof even in scripture it self it signifiâ—th a Priest consecrated and ordâ—inâ—d to offer the sacrifice of our Lâ—rd bodâ— and bloud at the Altar administer Sâ—craments and preach I ad Tim. 5. to the peoâ—le according to St. Pauls words affirming such Priests to be worthy of double honour as labour in the word and doctrine dâ—stinguish d from the Laity and â—xâ—rcisâ—â—g their hiâ—â—â— Office of governing under Bishops Christian People commited in several Churches to the government of them having under them foâ— the ministry of the Altar Deacons Subdeacons and other inferiour Church Officers as glorious St. Ignaâ—ius in his Epistles particularly mâ—ntioneth them What saith he Epist ad Trallianâ—s is the Bishop but Father Prince and Head of the Clergie What is Priesthood but a holy institution of being Counsellour and assistent to the Bishop What are Deacons c. but helpers of Bishops and Priests in performing a clean immaculate work as most blessed Stephen did to James Timothy and Linus to Paul Anacletus and Clement to Peter in serving them at Masse distributing the Chalice to the people keeping and dispensing the Treasures of the Church as St. Laurence told Sixtus his Bishop desirous to be Martyred with him Priests are good and Preachers of Gods Word Epist. ad Smiâ—nenses but the Bishop is better than they honour him as the Father of Priests and chiefest of them resembling God himself and like unto Christ amongst his Disciples c. And writing to his own Church at Antioch I salute saith he the Priests and Deacons Subdeacons Lectors Acolathists Cantors Doorkeepers c. your Colledge of Virgins c. having then particularly written unto Hero his Deacon and told him how our Saviour had revealed unto him that he should next in that See succeed him So as the whole order and form of Ecclesiasticall government used in the Apostles time is there according to all degrees thereof declared by him Calvin therefore and his Companions in changing the same have done as if a few Rebels invading some part of a greaâ— and well sâ—tled kingdome should change the old laws and government thereof to be new in that as in other points of their Doctrine and refusing to follow those
therein of whom Christ said He that heareth Epist 1. c. 4. you heareth me and of whom St. John said He that knoweth God heareth us and ho who knoweth not God heareth us not in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour Christ having before told his Apostles and such no doubt as succeeded them in the government Joan. 15. of his Church I will send unto you the Holy Ghost and he shall give testimony unto me and so shall you c. joyning so together the inward teaching of the Holy Ghost and outward teaching of the Church both to be embraced and obeyed by all her children For albeit saith St. Austin he uttered all Enarrat in Psal 47. these promises to his Apostles cum illis loquebatur noâ— intelligebat yet speaking to them he meant us also who were to the worlds end to succeed them for whom he prayed and obtained the Holy Ghost of his heavenly Joan. 77. Father not to remain for a time but for ever with them The third Controversie Of the Bishop and Church of Rome NOt as it is the Patriarchial and particular Church of that City but as it is head and chief of all other Churches subjected unto it And I do not here without hearty grief entâ—r into this Controversie whilest I consider with my self how violently and virulently our Adversaries have after the accustomed manner of other Hereticks before them by preaching and writing slanderous untruths made not to men and women only but even unto very children the name of Pope Papistry as they call our Catholick Faith hatefull and scarcely with patience to be mentioned amongst them notwithstanding all learned men know that antiently the Church of Rome hath been for the profession of her faith and glory of her Martyrs renowned above other Churches so as thirty three Bishops successors of S. Peter in that Chair were slain in that City for Christ amidst their flocks and innumerable Martyrs with them after the two chief Apostles Peter and Paul had planted by their preaching and watered with their bloud the true Doctrine of Christ therein thus extolled by Calvin himself after many Lib. 4. insti tut c. 6 â— untruths uttered by him I deny not saith he but that thâ— ancient Fathers do yeeld every where great reverence to the Church of Rome and speak highly of her calling her for honours sake the Apostolical Sâ—e of the West as freer from troubles and more firmly retaining her first Faith than other African or Grecian Churches Wâ—ence it came to passe that holy Bishops injured and driven from their Sees retired thither as unto a Port of Safety and have been from time to time by the Authority of Popes righted and restored to their Churches Others also in questions and doubts of Religion have repaired unto them St. Policarp for example Disciple to John and ordained Bishop of Smyrna by him came to Pope Anicetus about the due observance of Easter aâ— St. Irenâ—us Eusebius and St. Hieâ—â—me have left written And St. Irenaeus after him came to Rome as Tertullian recounteth about condemning some Heresies then nâ—wly rising Origen likewise as St. Hierom testifieth submitted Epist. ad Pâ—machiuÌ„ Ocâ—anum himself to Pope Fabian and recanted some doctrines written by him Saint Cyprian in like manner wrote many Epistles to Pope Cornelius about sundry businesses of his Church and the Novations then beginning to be troublesome unto him St. Athanasius and many other Bishops of Aegypt and Libia together addressed themselves by a most humble and earnest Epistle to Pope Foelix the second to crave of him a true Copy of the Nicene Councel which the Arians had in all places burned and suppressed to demand also a restitution to their several Churches and to be redressed in other wrongs done unto them for that the relief of wronged Bishops and other chief businesses of the Church for the eminency of hiâ— authority over all Churches and Bishops belonged unto him as it had been declared by the Fatherâ— of the Nicene Councel at which some of them selves had been present And accordingly he that will read the Epistles of St. Leo and St. Gregory both surnamed great for that high and holy esteem which the Christian world is known to have had of them shall find them as other Popes had done before to have exercised authority over all Eastern and Western Bishops as Causes happ'ned even Patriarchs themselvâ—s without exception howsoever this certain truth be by Calvin impudently denied Insomuch that the very next Popes to St. Peter so holy in their livâ—s and glorious in their Martyrdomes for Christ that it would be an impious temerity for any man to object as some of our Adversaries have done any affectation of Pride and Ambition unto them are known by the prerogative of their Chair to have both claimed and exercised this Universal Authority Tom. 1. Conciliorum Epis 3. Saint Anacletus for example the fourth Pope after S. Peter hath these words This holy and Apostolical Church of Rome hath obtained not from the Apostles but from our Saviour himself a Supream and eminent power over all Churches and the whole flock of Christ when he said unto the most blessed Apostle Thou art a rock and upon this rock I will build my Church c. S. Victor likewise so claimed this power and exercised the same over other Churches as he excommunicated all Bishops of the lesser Asia for their Judaical and obstinate observance of Easter for which S. Irenaeus blamed him not because he wanted authority but for that he had used therein overmuch severity S. Calixtus in his Epistle ad Benedictum expresly affirmed the Church of Rome needfully to be obeyed and followed by all Churches as Head and chief of them The like authority was challenged and exercised by all these holy Popes living within the first 300. years after Christ Antherus Fabian Lucius Dionysius Foelix the first Marcellus and others Neither were holy Fathers in that time lesse earnest in defending the Supream and Universal Authority of the Roman Church than Popes themselves S. Irenaeus for example calleth Lib. 3. c. 3. the Church of Rome the greatâ—st most antient and best known Church founded by the two most blessed Apostles Peter and Paul c. Whereunto for her more powerfull principality all other Churches were to be conformed in the doctrine of Faith and practice of Religion naming Popes untill this Li. de pudicitia time succeeding each other Tertullian likewise from the succession of Bishops in that See numbred by him prescribeth against Hereticks the truth of Christian Doctrine calling the Bishop of that Church Episcopum Episcoporum Bishop of Bishops and Father of the Catholick Church S. Cyprian in a like manner after he had declared how Christ promised to build his Church on S. Peter and commended the government Lib. de unitat Eccles of his flock unto him saith that albeit all the Apostâ—es received
like Authority from Christ yet that Peter was ordained chief of them and that all faith was from his Chair chiefly to be received saying That no Heresiâ—s would rise in the Church if this one Priests Authority were duly acknowledged and obeyed as it ought to be S. Hilary having praised S. Peter for Can. in Mat. 16. his Confession of Christ cryeth out Oh happy foundation of the Church designed by that new name Cephaâ— a rock imposed on him worthy of that building which shall stand firmly against Hell gates c. Saint Chrysostome in more than ten several Hom. 87 in Jâ— ad populum Antioch 39 42 49. 80. 87. places plainly acknowledgeth the preâ—minency of the Roman Church and Bishop above other Churches and Bishops by the dignity of Peters Chaire therein continued S. Hierome professed himself albeit he lived in the East under other Patriarcks to be a sheep of Peters flock and to be conjoyned Epist. 2. ad Damasum with his Chair and succession of Roman Pastors therein as knowing Lib. 2. c. 51. Christs Church on this Rock to have been raised And S. Austine demanded of Petelian a chief Donatist why dost thou call this Apostolical Chaire the Chair of Pestilence as now our Adversaries do the Seat of Antichrist the Beast of seven heads whereon the Whore of Babylon is said to have ridden not distinguishing between that City and Church therein ever most holy and renowned whilest that City Mistresse of the world when S. John wrote his Apocalips persecuted the same for 300. years together purpled her self with the bloud of Martyrs making all Nations of the earth drunk with the poysonous cup of her Superstitions so as Rome was to the Church of Christ in that City and other places as Babylon was anâ—iâ—ntly to the Jewish Temple a powerfull and hatefull Enemy and is called therefore Babylon by S. Peter in the end of his Epistle when he wrote The Church which is in Babylon saluteth you Which is so clearly acknowledged in her supream and Universal Authority by S. Austine S. Optatus S. Ambrose and a multitude of other Fathers as I could produce here a double Jury of them Wherefore Calvin dissembled and lied notably when in his Epistle to Cardinal Sodalet he pretended to ayme at no other reformation of our Church but to reduce it to that belief and practice of Religion which was in the Greek Church whilest Basil Chrysostome and the Fathers of that time lived and used in the Latine Church whilest Ambrose Austine and Hierome were in it Whereas he rejecteth in innumerable places the coÌ„fessed doctrine both of these and more ancient Fathers and many times with plain conâ—umelies and reproaches vented against them as will appear afâ—erwards in each Controversie When also he professed no lesse fraudulently and falsely to believe and admit of all doctrines and practices embraced in the Church of Rome during the first 500 years after Christ he meant nothing lesse for that when the Belief and practice of the Church in the three first Ages is objected against him and new points of his Doctrine his answer is that even then the Church of Rome was not so pure as it might in all doctrines and practices of Religion be securely followed With the same fraud also he maketh Lib. 4. instit c. 9. num 8. profession to embrace the first four generall Councels as teaching and decreeing nothing but conformable to Scripture Yet wherâ— it is urged against him even in this very Controversie that in all these four Councels the Popes supream and universal authority is plainly acknowledged Chastity injoyned to Priests Vows taught to binde in Conscience and the like points of Catholick doctrine proved out of them he rejecteth their authority farther than it is by Gods word warranted unto him and not onely deniâ—th what they teach of the Popes authority but most impudently averreth many notorious falshoods For example he denith Saint Peters having been at Rome no lesse testified by antient Authors and monuments than that Augustus once raigned in that City and despairing to make good such an impudent assertion he denieth him at least to have been Bishop of that City for 25 years together against the clear testimony of S. Hierom following Eusebius writing In Cronic Anno 44. thus long before him Peter a Galilean by his country the chief Bishop of Christians after he had founded the Church of Anâ—ioch went to Rome where having preached the Gospel as Bishop of that City for twenty five years was crucified there under Nero with his head downwards because himself desired to die so Serm. de SS Petro Paulo And S. Leo of S. Peters first coming to Rome mâ—keth this speech unto him Thou hadst already most blessed Apostle established the Church of Antâ—och and by thy evangelical pâ—eaching converted unto Christs law Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithania when thou broughtest the Trophy of Christs crosse into the Roman arches whether by divine ordination the honour of power and glory of thy passion went before thee that the faith of Christ might there chiefly flourish where the Devils Tyranny had chiefly raged extending from thence thy spirituall Power into more kingdomes and Countries than formerly the Roman Captains by their many conquests had Ser. 3. de assâ—m ejâ—s ad Pontific obtained Christ having especially chosen thee to govern all Nations converted unto him and preferred thee before the other Apostles and governours of his Church when he thrice committed the feeding and government of his flock unto thee and promised to build his Church firmly upon thee Which high Office and Power was no doubt to be extended to all true and lawfull Successors of him For as Christs Church and Flock was still to continue as hath been already proved to the worlds end so were the Governours and government thereof to be in the same manner still continued and not during S. Peters time onely whose authority given by Christ differed in this from that which his fellow Apostles received likewise from him that theirs was delegated onely and to end with their Persons whereas his was ordinary and to be derived so farre as the government of the Church required to his Successors after him which whosoever denieth proudly unto them saith S. Leo he damneth himself but lesseneth not that authority which is given by Christ unto them And that which was uttered by our Savior and understood chiefly of himself may be truly applied unto S. Peter and all lawful Successors of him Vicarial heads and secondary foundations of his Church established on them wherefore he that falleth on this Rock shall be bruised and on whom it falleth it shall crush him For that all such as have at any time heretofore forsaken the unity of this Church and refused obedience to S. Peters Successors in that Chair departing from the faith thereof have dashed themselves against this Rock and onely foamed out their own confusions
as may be instanced in all â—â—â—â—ticks of former times whereby the other three Patriarchical Seats of Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem have been first corrupted and afterwards with Mahumetiâ—m overwhelmed as now likewise hath almost happened unto the Churches of Greece after they had been ten severall times unitâ—d to the Church of Rome and faln again from it who yet never arrived unto that fraâ—â—tick and witlesse folly of Protestants affirming the Succession of Popes in S. Peters Chair even almost since the Apostles time for 1000. years at lâ—ast past to have been Antichrist that single man and professed enemy of Christ mentioned by S. Paul who is certainly to be received by the Jews to raign in Hierusalem and tread the holy City under his feet to sit as a God in the Temple reedified by him to kill Enoch and Elias there the two faithful witnesses of Christ lying afterwards three dayes together naked in the Streets of that City the glory of whose raign is to continue but three years and a half called by Daniel and S. John a time two times and half a time numbred by forty two months or which is all one by 1260. dayes when Christ shall shorten the rage of his persecution for the good of his elect and kill this wicked man with the breath of his own mouth All which particulars contained in Scripture one by one can no more agree to the whole Succession of Roman Bishops than to the Turkish Emperours for these thousand years past nor indeed so much because these have had the possession of Hierusalem for many ages together and ever have been enemies to Christ and Christians whereas Popes have ever been his faithfull Servants his Vicars here on earth and chief Pastors of his flock by his own Ordination So as â—othing could have been devised more injuriously to Christ or more derogating from his glory in redeeming us than to affirm as in effect they do that the Devill timely prevailed against him for the overthrow of his Church and that also by the Roman Bishop and Chaire of Peter whereon as a Rock he promised to build so firmly as hell gates to wit no power of men or Devils should prevail against it In the mean time if ad Thess 2. we will with holy Fathers and all antient or modern Interpreters examine that obscure place of S. Paul concerning the mystery of iniquity working in his time it was not understood of Popes but of Hereticks beginning then to rise and preparing a way for Antichrists coming for which cause they are called by S. John Antichrists as by corrupting the true faith forerunners of him And never any Sect or sort of Hereticks did perform this wicked Office against Christ his Church more than modern Hereticks have done in their pretended reformation of our Church and Religion Whose malice against the Bishop of Rome is so far extended as even that blessed Apostle himself whose Chair they succeed in is so undervalued by them that they seek to deny many especial privileges of our Saviours love towards him magnified by all ancient Fathers and Interpreters of Scripture before them as his having been from his first calling by the imposall of a new name designed by Christ to be the head foundation of his Church and under the title of his Flock thrice commended the same to his government prayed for him that his faith might not faile willing him to confirm his Brethren He prayed not In quaest Novi testamenti q. 75. saith S. Austin for James or John or any of the rest but for Peter alone that his faith might not faile because on him as a sure foundation next to himself the firmity of his Church chiefly depended So as from this Text the unâ—rring judgment of him and his Successors in points of Faith hath been as well by ancienâ— Fathers as later Divines rightly gathered Neither can it be convinced that any Bishop of Rome hath as a private Doctor erred in any point of Faith much lesse guided the Church amisse by falsly declaring any point or practice of Christian Doctrine And if amongst such a multitude of most Learned Holy and eminent Persons which in the See of Rome have from age to age succeeded each other some few have been blamefull in their lives as one amongst the twelve Apostles was a Judas and another amongst the first seven Deacons is commonly held to have been horribly vicious in his life and doctrine yet prejudiced not the sanctity of the rest nor the holinesse of their Function for why should the glory of other good Popes come to be obscured or the high authority of that See be lessened by them Such scandals being some of those gates of Hell which were permitted by Christ to be opened against his Church but never to overthrow it Yet I may truly say here that in numbring and naming such Popes Protestants have notably erred and with great malice made Boniface the eighth and other Popes black and abominable in their lives who by the certain testimonies of most holy and learned persons living in the same age and time with them were very good holy and zeaâ—ous Bishops and wrongfully defamed by unconscionable wicked men professed adversaries unto them And should any Pope swarve in any point from the professed and known faith of Christs Church and in any publick manner profâ—sse his error there would not as our Adversariâ—s teach be wanting in the Church authority or means enough to â—eâ—ose or rather declare him to be no true member of the same and so no more hâ—ad thereof which is spoken of a thing in the ayre and that will never hâ—ppen Nâ—ither is it to be marvelled at that we Christians should bâ—lieve that the cheif Pastor and Head of Christs Church for whom himself prayed that his faith might not faile for the confirmation of his Brethren in their Christian and Catholick profession should be inâ—allible in his publick teaching sithence the High Priest of the Jews a type onely and figure of ours was to be so strictly followed and obeyed in his doctrine as the refusers of his sentence were by death and no lesse penalty to be punished and such as sate in the Chair of Moses and exercised that power which was provided by God for the instruction of his People were by our Saviours command notwithstanding their bad lives to be followed in their doctrine and can we think that he would leave his Church void of such an external and infallible means in all points and practices of faith to rely on For should the Churches teaching be held fallible and uncertain even scriptures themselves might be questioned in their authority approved as I have said before by her testimony and tradition as other declared points of doctrine And to say that this infallible authority should be more in the flock than in the chief Pastor thereof more in the body than in the head more in the family than in the father and governour
of it more in a generall Councel than in the Pope who hath authority to call and confirm it is an extravagant opinion of some divines and hath little colour of truth in it especially considering that sundry great and general Councels not following the Popes sentence and directions given either by their Letters or Legats in them have perniciously in their Decrees and scandalously erred Whereas it cannot be proved that Popes alone have in their doctrines so failed Neither hath it in former times been held necessary for resolving doubts in matters of faith or for condemning Heresies risen against them to have a generall Councel presently called but Popes alone have commonly performed that Office acknowledged by chief Fathers in all ages to belong unto them so as amongst many others which might here to that purpose be instanced by me St. Hierom writing to Pope Damasus about admiting 3 hypostasies in the deity or not because that word then was of a doubtfull signification tell me saith he whether I shall admit them or not as a sheep I ask help of my Sheapherd I know not Vitalis I refuse to believe Mâ—lesius I am joyned to your beatitude alone c. And in this kinde of language have other antient fathers written to severâ—l Pâ—pâ—s to have quâ—stions and doubts of faiâ—h resolved by them which they would not have done had they not believed our Saviours prayer that their faith should not fail to hâ—ve been heard for them by his eternal Father and that a peculiar assistance of the Holy Ghost was promised unto them The fourth Controversie Of Traditions needfully added into the Canon of Scripture OUr Adversaries under a specious pretence of following in the Doctrine and practice of Faith Gods word alone contained in Scripture seek to overthrow amongst Christians all true belief and Religion for admitting what scriptures they list themselves and interpreting them as they please is in effect to have a Religion of their own making no lesse absurd than if in Kingdomes and Common-wealths Subjects were permitted to interpret laws of themselves without admitting Judges to determine of them or any authentical Declaration of them so as every man may to his own advantage in suits and controversies expound them and defend any cause how bad and unjust soever it be by them And that pretence of Protestants to believe nothing which is not either expressed in Scripture or by a clear immediate consequence gatherable from it is a false brag and purposely devised to exclude the Churches teaching and deceive ignorant people unable to note how ungroundedly and without sence many times texts of Scripture are cited by them to prove their own and impugn our doctrines insomuch as the Catholick and learned Pastor of Chaventon a place alotted unto the Hugonits neer Paris hath in sundry Volumes discovered the fraudulent proceedings of Protestants about maintaining points of their Religion and particularly shewed that no point thereof can be without false Glosses of their own convinced out of Scripture For example when S. Paul affirmeth all scripture divinely inspired to be profitable to teach to correct to instruct in justice that the man of God may be perfect He doth not say as our Adversaires falsly gather from this place that scripture alone can make him perfect in the knowledge of heavenly truth for that revealed and unwritten doctrines may serve likewise to increase this knowledge in him as when S. Paul willed the Galatians to stick firmly to cap. 1. his doctrine by writing or preaching delivered unto them and exhorted the Thessalonians to keep those traditions which either by his Epistles or by 2 Thess 2. speech they had received from him praâ—sing the Corinthians for observing such precepts as he had given unto them When also against Apostolical and certain tradition they urged those texts wherein our Saviour reprehended Pharisaical and wicked doctrines teaching plainly observances against the Law of God sometimes also vain things and of no moment their arguments are meer fopperies and prove nothing against unwritten doctrines such as are the Creed of the Apostlâ—s the translation of the Jewish Sabbath into our Sunday the Feasts of Easter and Pentecost antiently observed not for the celebration of Jewish but Christian mysteries and many other Feasts and Fastâ— kept in the Church from Apostolical tradition the Baptism of Children the matters and forms of Sacraments and many other doctrines and practices of faith not expressed in Scripture Where in the mean time I will ask those mâ—n is it either plainly expressâ—d or by clear consequencies gatheâ—ablâ— from Scripture that the Commandements of God are impossible to be observed that men have no free will to do good or evill that the justâ—st men do mortally offend in their best actions that there is no inherent justice or sanctification in us by heavenly graces communicated unto soules cleansed from sin but that all are holy by Christs justice alone apprehended by faith and imputed only unto them that each faithfull man is by an Act of faith to believe that he shall be saved no lesse surely than Christ himself that Christ dyed for none but the Elect and that others were to have no share in the fruit of his death and passion for us that Christs body and blood are not really and corporally present in the Sacrament but by saith onely that Sacraments of the new law are signes and seals of faith onely no graces are communicated at all to such as receive them and many such Protestants Tenents bâ—sides which have no true ground at all in Scripture for them And in this pretence of gathering and proving the faith out of scriptures onely they imitate many anciâ—nt Hereticks before them So Maximus the Arian as S. Austin in his first In principio book against him recounteth rejecteth the word Homousion because it was not expressed in Scripture and so did Epist 174. Pascentius as the same father recounteth and as S. Gregory Naziâ—nzen relateth of Eunomius he was wont to ask his Christian Adversaries why they did name a God meaning the Holy Ghost not mentioned for such in scripture making so saith he the sacred Act. 3. writings of God a cloak of their impiety Acasius the Arian in the Councel of Selevica used the same words and so did Eutiches in the Councel of Constantinople under Flavianus asking the Fathers therein assembled in what scripture they found expressed that cap. 6. Christ had two Natures conjoyned in his Person neither could he be drawn from those words commonly used by Protestants I follow onely the scriptures and regard not the Fathers Exposition Lib. de natura de gratia cap. 39. of them The Pelagians also as S. Austin citâ—th their words made profession to believe no more than Anathetisma 7. what they read in Scripture So did the Iconomachi or Image-breakers in the second Councel of Nice and the Albigenses said the same to S. Bernard Hom. 66. in Cant. as
earthly inheritance and kingdome they will make him a King without any Dominion a Head without a body a Father without a family and a Pastor without a flock for many ages together Yâ—a if we will believe some of them Christs Church was no sooner settled in the truth of heavenly Doctrine but it dâ—clined superstitiously and wickedly from it The Centurists for example in their second â—â—p 4. Century after a deniall of Saint Denis Areopagita his known Works becauâ—e they contain many points and practices of Doctrine against them have accusâ—d St. Ignatius who lived with our Saviour himself and waâ— both for his life and death gloriously renowned for speaking of Priests Altars Sacrifice and severall Orders of Church Ministers not admitted by them of Colledges of Virgins and Widdows vowing to live chastly concerning the merit of good works and other declinings from the first purity of Christian Doctrine They accuse St. Irenaeuâ— for mentioning a Sacrifice according to the Order of Melchisedeck instituted under the forms of Bread and Wine by our Saviour himself in his last Supper taught by him to the Apostles and offered since in all parts of the World according to Cap. 1. Malachies prediction thereof and figured long before by Melchisedeck's oblation c. Others say Christs Church failed in Constantines time when it first began as a bright Sun to break out of the â—ark clouds of ten horrible Persecutions and spread its beams clearly throughout the world to the excessive joy of Christians as if at that very time Antichrist had begun his raign when Christs Church most flourished because then Pope Silvester a most glorious Confessor of Christ had the City of Rome for his residence assigned unto him by that glorious Emperour and they are inforced to this Blasphemy or else to allow of our present Church and Religion undoubtedly professed in Constantines time by the Sacrifice of the Mass solemnly celebrated with lights on the Altar with Prayer for the Dead Honour done unto Saints adoration of the sacred Host and kneeling before it images used in Churches c. as is in the Protestants Apologie for Catholicks plainly proved in a whole Chapter together Others affirm the utter overthrow of Christs Church to have happened in the time of Pope Boniface the third so as it hath been no where since vouchable and visible in any part of the world but wholly râ—tired to the hearts of some faithfull Persons knowing but not daring to professe true Religion members indeed of a Church framed onely by imagination and fancy and living perchance in the land of Faries or â—ome inchantâ—d Ilands or in Concaves of the Moon out of this world where there is no memory to be found of them whereas our Catholick Church even in the horriblest times of persecution was by the glorious Martyrdoms of innumerable Saints men and women children also amongst them Apologies written in defence of our Christian Religion meetings of Bishops learned expositions of Scriptures and in many other manners maintained as is now testified unto us Wherefore other Protestant Doctors not to trouble themselves with such fopperies of an invisible Church remaining still in ours for so many ages together affirm our Catholick Church at all times to have been the only Catholick and known Church of Christ but not to have been altogether free from erroneous Tenents and practices of doctrine reformed forsooth by them since Luthers and Calvins departure from it Yet so as the Authors of this opinion differ about the imagined errours of our Church some affirm them to have been fundamentall damnable idolaâ—rous and Antichristian which is the same as to say that during so many ages Christ had no true Church at all whilest others make a milder judgement of them and say that the being of a true Church was not hindred by the belief and practice of them so as they agree not in the very being before Luther of their Church and Religion The second part AND because they pretend our Church and Religion to have been resormed by them they shall give me leave here to declare what manner of men these Reformers were how they were first called to make this Reformation How they began it And to what antient Faith and Form of Church government they sought to reduce it And to discuss these points Comment in cap. 1. ad Galatas orderly my Reader must know that the first father of these Reformers was Martin Luther an Apostate Friar of St. Austins order who as he writeth himself lived chastely and well in his Monastery for fifteen years together but after his departure from it he became Sâ—â—m de Matrim by his own confession a very monster of Lust no more able to live without a woman than he could leave to be a man or forbear natural necessities of eating drinking spitting c. and luxury at one time so raged in him as for eight dayes together he could neither pray nor study and shortly after to asswage the heat thereof one night after Supper he married forsooth and took for his Bed-fellow Katheriue Bore a lusty Nun after eight years of her religious profession which troubled so much his friends and Melancthon chiefly that in an Epistle to Camerinus You know saith he the manner of Luthers life wherefore I had rather you should conjecture the rest then I write thereof onely I may say Luther is not a man made to live without a woman which surely was no great commendation for an apostolicall man as he by his discipâ—es is pretended to have been Carolastadius Luthers first Schollar Priest and Dean of Witâ—enberg Church and Father of modern Sacramentarian Hereâ—icks fierce unlearned and void almost of common judgement as Melanctâ—on described him prevented his Master in a like marriage and was quickly followed therein by Peter Martyr a Priest and Canon Regular by Martyr Bucer a Dominican Friar who both took Nuns for their B dfellows and soon after Oecolampidius a Brigitan Monk did the same and Bernardius Ochinus a Capuchin with him drawing others like themselves to follow their example insomuch as Zuinglius Priests and Canon of Constance Operum ejus tom 2. sol 110. with the rest of his fâ—llows in Swizzerland so much longed to have this Evangelical liberty of wiving also granted unto them as they humbly petitioned the Mâ—gistrates of that country for the same as having already not without scandal of others experienced their own infirmity and unablenesse to live without women Calvin in like manner an under-Pastor of Noion after he became Luthers disciple had his Idoletta a Widdow of Strasburg and Beza his Candida truly called Claudia de Nossa with whom he lived four years before he married her enjoying her and Audibert his boy at the same time as himself in a wanton Poem expressed his lustfull delights wherein he seemed to have had most pleasure in his Boy to be much troubled that he could not enjoy them both together
So as men may truly say with St. Paul of these men that sowing in the flesh they reaped corruption And if in the mean time you ask them who dispensed with their Vows that of Chastity in particular whereby they were doubly tyed to live continently most of them at least Priests and religious Persons Luther forsooth will tell you for his part in a whole Book together Lib. dè votis that the law of Christ is of Faith alone and bindeth no man to the observance of Vows as not warranted in Scripture unto him Peter Martyr also in a like treatise will make you believe Lib. de â—â—eâ—â— bat â—oâ—â—â— if you list that Vows are Judaical observances and belong not to Christians Zuinglius will answer you that St. Paul dispensed with all Vows of Chastity sufficiently by saying It is better to marry than to burn And Calvin more cholerickly will tell you that Continency ordained In harmonia ad cap. 10. Matt. in cap. 7. 1. Epist ad Coâ—inthios for Priests was an Antichristian Tyranny and Vows of Chastity the Divels nets to ensnare soules pronouncing with great Authority all Christians to be free from the observance of them But St. Paul was not of these mens minde when he pronounced such Widows as had given their faith to 1 Tim. 5. the Church of living chastly and married afterwards to have acquired damnation to themselves and the Apostles as Saint Epiphanius testifieth Heresi 61. taught it to be grande scelus a hainous crime to marry after Chastiâ—y vowed unto God The same also is expressely Can. 6. defined in the great Councel of Calcedon St. Basil likewise and St. Austin on these words of the Psalmist Vow you and render your Vows to God affirm the same and many other chief Fathers have taught that the observance of Vows rightly made is both a natural and divine Obligation seconded by all Schoole divines in that Assertion and particularly St. Chrysostome Epist. 2. writing to Theodorus a faln Monk St. Austin also unto Armenterius one of the same stamp expresly affirm the very thought of wiving after their Vow of Chastity to have been sacrilegious and sinfull in them Concerning their manner of reforming our Church divers great Authors have observed that Luther began not the same in an Apostolical way as a Sheep amongst Wolves but rather as an inraged Woolf seeking to devour the souls and bodies of men together as when for example against Tom. 2. Jenensis 132. the Bishops of Germany he published this roaring Bull Now you Bishops and maâ—ked Devils look to your selves for Martin Luther will publish a Bull of Reformation which will trouble you whosoever shall help to destroy you and root out your Authority are true Christians and Gods Children c. and contrarily such as seek to defend and maintain you are damned persons and Imps of the Devil c. So as presently upon the publication of this Bull the Clowns of Germany armed themselves and invaded the Territories of Bishops not sparing likewise some tâ—mporal Lords supposed to favour them but with such ill successe as more than a hundred thousand of them are said to have been slain in sundry places by troops of expert Souldiers sent against them so little pittied by Luther afterwards as he would have them killed like Dogs without mercy because they had somewhat exceeded his Commission whose railings in the mean time against sundry great Princes and our King Henry the eighth amongst them onely for being opposite to his new Doctrine were scurrill filthy ribauld and wholy unbeseeming the tongue or pen of any Christian man and much more of an Apostolical Person and his especial hatred to the Pope and Church of Rome was such and so impotently expressed by him as should it said he be decreed in a general Councel that Priests might marry I for my part would think him more holy that Tom. 2. Jenensis 214. kâ—pt a Whore or two and would not marry then do as the Councel permitted him and I would counsel all mine to do so Calvin also began his Sect with Rebellion at Genua as the same also was Vide Gasparem Valenbergium cap. 8. maintained in France Scotland Poland and other places and so did Zuinglius with war against his own Country wherein himself was killed and many other armed Ministers with him so unlike were they at their first coming to Apostolical Persons The Vocation likewise of these new Evangelists was neither immediately from God nor mediately from men by any orderly lawful Hâ—b 5. succession from Pastors before them against that of the Apostle No man assumeth honour or spirituall government unto himself but called as Aaron was So Christ glorified not himself to be our high Priest c. and as he was sent by his Father so sent he his Disciples saying unto them As my Father sent me so do I send you And this mission hath been by a continuall succession of Pastors In Locis communibus classe 4. cap. 20. still continued in the Church So as like Theeves they enter not by the doore who intrude themselves into Ecclesiastical Offices and charge of Souls without it Wherefore Luther himself speaking of such as stole into the Office of Preaching being not lawfully sent examine saith he whether they can prove their Vocation for God never sent any man but either by others lawfully called or by miracles able to prove their Vocation no not his Son himself And Writing to the Senate of Melhuse he repeateth the same Doctrine and concludeth that wheresoever God changeth the ordinary maner of calling he alwaies miraculously testifieth his Mission Let then our Adversaries according to this rule tell us whether they were sent mediately by men or immediately Lib. de neâ—essitate reformandi Ecclesiam ad Carolum 5. by God to reform our Church Calvin I know writeth that he and his fellows in a pure zeal of glorifying God and saving Souls were inforced to depart from our Church And Beza affirmeth it to have been lawfull for them to follow an extraordinary calling when no ordinary was to be found or scarcely any But with these answers they satisfie not Luthers demand where are those Miracles wholly necessary to testifie this immediate Vocation Hath now for these hundred years past any Protestant Minister cured so much as a lame Dog to prove his Vocation Wherefore Doctor Seravia in his Defence against Beza writeth thus That Vocation which is immediately from God is never without Miracles and extraordinary signes done in proof thereof For that it is a thing full of danger and all sorts of Hereticks albeit never so absurd may claim it in a like manner and rely upon that alone no man ought to thrust himself into Ecclesiastical Offices Wherefore Bullinger writing against the Anabaptists You pretend saith he to be sent as the Apostles were prove your Vocation by signes and miracles which you will never do wherefore
himself recounteth So did the Wiclifests as Waldensis citeth their words and proveth it still to have been the custome of Hereticks to cloak their Novelties under a specious and fraudulent pretence of imbracing onely the Lib. 2. de doctrina fidei cap. 9. Scriptures by themselves falsly expounded which is as there he saith to follow their own judgments and not Scripture consisting as S. Hierome told the Luciferans not in the words but in the true meaning of them an adulterated sense being no lesse harmfull than a forged letter to be imbraced So as this learned Author demanded well of Wicklif Why said he should we believe your lately devised Interpretations of Scripture to prove your Heresies more than you believe all the ancient Fathers and Doctors of Christs Church in all places of the world and ages before you for if you tell us that they were men and might erre I may answer that you are not Angels or Doctors sent from heaven that Christians now after 1300 years should learn a new Faith and Exposition of scripture from you wherein also you differ no lesse among your selves than you have done from all antiquity before you as having no certain rule of Faith to determine differences between you And those very Scriptures out of which you pretend to gather your Faith wholy neither are nor can be but by the Churches testimony certainly notified unto you for as they cannot give testimony unto themselves nor any one part to the rest so as Calvins inward light pretended to be given unto all faithfull persons for the knowledge of them is a meer fancy as elswhere I have proved And whereas Protestants affirm that we have in our Church many vain and unprofitable traditions yea repugnant unto Scripture yet in their authority equalled by us unto them they do herein affirm many untruths together for that with us all Traditions are not equal in their authority and such as are truly Apostolical and have had their origine from the Apostles are we say of no lesse authority as the Church retaineth a memory still of them than if they had been by their first Authors written and we have certain rules whereby they come to be known infallibly by us The first is taught by S. Austin in these words that point or practice Lib. 4. contra Donat. of faith not taught in Scripture nor decreed in Councels yet ever retained by the Church is rightly believed to have from Apostolical authority descended to us such is the Baptism of Children c. The second Rule is this if any point of faith hath been unanimously taught by the holy Fathers and yet not mentioned in Scripture it may be securely imbraced as an Apostolical tradition such is the perpetual Virginity of the mother of God the number of the Gospels c. The third Rule is if any thing hath been practiced and believed still in the Church which could not be at first by humane authority introduced and established it is to be thought to have come from the Apostles such are the matters and formâ— of Sacraments their number and the proper effects of them prayer for the dead c. The signe of the Crosse used in Baptisme and other such religious customs which if as things of light moment they should come to be neglected saith S. Basil and not regarded the Lib. de Spiritu Sancto belief and practice of the Church in points of greater moment would totter also and become weakened in their authority sithence the Gospels themselves are not more certainly than by the Churches tradition and authority confirmed unto us Tertullian with S. Basil teacheth such traditions and Lib. de pudicitia de coronam clitis so doth S. Ambrose S. Austin and many other chief Fathers even such as lived with or neer the Apostles themselves as S. Dennis S. Ignatius S. Irenaeus S. Justin Martyr Origen and S. Cyprian blamed therefore by the Calvinists 2. cent cap. 4. 3. cent c. 4. for this doctrine Eusebius also affirmeth Hegesippus a disciple of the Apostles themselves to have wrote five Books in a simple stile but with great sincerity of such traditions as had been left to the Church by them against Calvins impiety peremptorily after his manner and proudly condemning for sacrilegious and superstitious all external rites used in the Service of God and not expressed in Scripture Yet we finde that himself in the order of his Genevian Congregation hath many new rites and ordinations of his own appointment no where mentioned in Scripture presuming so of a power in himself above the Apostles themselves to ordain them for that his must be imbraced and theirs condemned and deemed sacrilegious albeit Lib. 3. â—4 never so authentically testified unto us Perchance he had never read or little regarded that important question which antient Irenaeus proposed about Traditions and verities of faith believed by all good Christians yet not expressed in Scripture What saith he if the Apostles had left no Scriptures at all behinde them ought we not to have followed the order of Tradition which they left unto those Bishops unto whom they recommended those Churches which had been founded by them and to speak no more hereof even now in our time we know many barbarous Nations to have received by their preaching the faith of Christ and to persevere holily therein flying and detesting all Heresies contrary in any sort unto the same who as wholy unlearned never had any Scriptures at all but onely stick unto the Traditions which were at first by the Apostles themselves delivered unto them And if such Traditions as are now in our Churches retained and observed for the order of divine Service and decency therein to be used should be accounted sacrilegious and abominably superstitious as Calvin would have them The use for example of sâ—cred Vestments the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme Prayers said at the burial of the dead bowing at the name of Jesus and other like Ceremonies that admonition of S. Pauls would come to be neglected charging the Corinthians to do all things honestly or in a seemly 1 Cor. 14. manner and according to order in the Church as we can prove from assured testimonies the Primitive Christians did during the fiâ—st hundred years after Christ in their publick sinaxes or meeings at divine Service and Sacraments together recounted by S. Dennis of Areopagita in his Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy in the 2 or 3 chapters together by S. Justin Martyr in his second Apology for Christians to Antonius Pius the Emperour and by S. Ignatius insinuated plainly enough in many places of his Epistles by Tertullian also in his book â—â— pudicitia and other fathers living in or near unto the age of the Apostles And such Ceremonies as are by Calvin so rejected and condemned in the publick order of divine Service are thus by S. Austin approved in such things as are not determined in Scripture the customs of Gods Church
Epist 87. ad Casulanum and antient Ordinations are to be maintained and observed as laws prescribed unto us Neither doth Calvins denial of them to be lawfull because they are not expressed in Scripture derogate any thing at all from the antiently allowed authority of them and the want of them in his reformed or rather deformed Conventicles is a notable blemish unto them insomuch as a great Lord of France beholding another Hâ—gonet Lord his friend after a Pompous Funeral caft like a Dog into the Earth by two ordinary labouring men without any Prayer or Ceremony used in the Burial of him sware that Calvins Religion was like a bald mans head without any hair upon it and another Lord there present said merrily in answer of him not without an Oath that it was a Religion if you will call it so fitter for Beggers than Gentlemen The fifth Controversie Of Protestancy begun here in England under Queen Elizabeth ANd since continued untill now when Puritanism by covert means at home and help of Scottish neighbours abroad came to overtop it and made an open way to the destruction of all setled and constant professions of Faith by the power of such as call themselves Independents as depending on none but themselves in the choice of their Religion Queen Elizabeth intended not this freedome of Sectaries now licensed unto them nor did she of her self so dislike Cathâ—like Religion but that she could have been contented to have continued the same in her kingdome if the Flaw of her Mothers marriage contrary to the Popes order and the act of her own father excluding her from the Crown had not caused King Henry the second of France whose eldest sonne Francis had newly then married Mary Queen of Scotland and next heir to the Crown of Engand to proclaim her a Bastard and resolved to maintain the right of his Daughter in law against her By which unfortunate occasion her ears were opened unto bad Councellors then about her and for their own ends busily perswading her that if the Popes power were still obeyed and Catholick Religion continued among her Subjects she could not have any certain hope of enjoying her Crown quietly and upon this ground chiefly she was moved to change the ancient Religion of her Kingdom which could not be done but in Parliament of which I have seen a daily Relation gotten from Mr. Camden by a Protestant Bishop and lent by him for some daies unto me So as out of the same I can truly affirm that such Burgesses and Knights were cunningly packed out of every Shire and Burrow-town in the lower House as for their incâ—ination to Protestant Religion or other private respects would easily conform themselves to the Queens intentions And amongst the Lords in the higheâ— House many great ones loth to be long absent from their Country Sports or by their first Acts to distaste the young Queen absented themselves from Parliament and gave their Proxies to the old Earl of Arundell a known Catholick and the Duke of Norfolâ—â— his Son in law not doubting but that they would do all things to maintain their Religion against all uncermining thereof But it proved not so for the Earl put in to a vain hope of marrying the Queen when by his age he might have been more than her father and the Duke of Norfolk being neither sound in Religion and for other ends of his own not sincere in his proceedings prevailed by their many Proxiâ—s to exclude the Bishops from sitting in Parliament all holy and learned men able to have turned the businesse as they listed after which Vote passed the Queens party in both houses still prevailed so as not long after new Bishops in place of the old were chosen some come â—râ—m Geneva others out of Germany of different Religions yet contented for honour weâ—lth and wives to joyn in any profession Seven of them were Apostata Monks and Friars and most of the rest meer Lay-men having neither Ordination nor Jurisdiction besides that which the Queen and Parliament could give them commonly therefore called the Parliament Bishops and Patent Prelates I know they have tried many waies and fained an old Record to prove their ordination from Catholick Bishops but it is false as I have received from two certain witnesses the former of them was Doctor Darbishire then Dean of S. of Pauls and Nephew to Doctor Boâ—ner Bishop of London who almost sixty years since lived at Meuse Pont then a holy religious man very aged but perfect in sense and memory who speaking what he knew affirmed to my self and another with me that like good fellows they made themselves Bishops at an Inn because they could â—â—t no true Bishops to consecrate them My other witnesse was a Gentleman of known worth and credit dead not many years since whose Father a chief Judge of this Kingdome visiting Archbishop Heath permitted by Queen Elizabeth his god-childe to live in Surrey at the Parsonage House of Cobham saw a letter sent from Bishop Bonner out of the Marshalsey by one of his Chaplains to the Archbishop read whilest they sate at Dinner together wherein he merrily related the manner how these new Bishops because he had disswaded Oglethorpe Bishop of Carlile from doing it in his Diocesse ordained one another at an Inn where they met together And whilest others laughed at this new manner of consecrating Bishops the Archbishop himself gravely and not without tears expressed his grief to see such a ragged company of men come poor out of Forraign parts and appointed to succeed the old Clergie in rich Deanries Prebendaries and Canons places who had such ill luck in meeting with dishonest Wives as an Ordination was put out by the Queen and Parliament That no woman should for a wife be commended to any Minister without her honesty could be testified withall sufficiently unto him and many who had been Clergie men before were urged either to take Wives or loose their Benefices as many were contento do and follow these Bishops examples The Tenents of Faith imbraced by the Queen and Parliament were Calvinian Doctrines but the form of Church Government was seemingly Catholick and the Title of Lord was to the new Bishops constantly to be continued and all other Officers under them as Deans c. And when some for their own ends would have had the new Bishops put to pensions the Queen would not hear of it as affecting the ancient splendour in her new Clergy And albeit Altars were pulled down and in place of the Masse a Book of Common Prayer ordained yet the Bishops were to keep their habits and the Ministers appointed to use Caps and Surplices for Decencies sake in time of Service much disliked afterwards by Puritans at home and Protestants abroad So that such professors are called usually by them Calvino-papiste Calvinian Papists Samaritans half Jews and half Gentiles And the Queen her self was for such ecclesiastical authority assumed by her so much disliked abroad
Saints as S. Justine Apolog. 2. ad Anteninum witnesseth in these words we are callâ—d saith he athiests because we worship not your Gods it is true we acknowledge no such Gods but one true God alone c. and his only Son who came from him and taught us to seâ—ve him we reverence the whole Army of his angels and blessed Spirits of the Prophets c. which honour yielded unto Saints is by St. Deunis in his celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchies by St. Ignatius in his Epistles and in all ancient Liturgies peculiarly expressed and in this we believe communion between them and us that as we rejoyce in their felicity and greatnes so they secure now for themselves saith St. Cyprian are sollicitous for us and the higher they are now in their own Heavenly glory and greatnesse the more clearly do they know our necessities and are ready from their divine Lord and ours to obtain remedies for them And if whilst they lived here on earth they might lawfully pray for us why may they not now do the same in their happier estate not hindering but increasing their Charity towards us sithence especially their locall remotenesse from us hindereth not their hearing of our prayers directed unto them no otherwise than angells know by the testimony of our Mat. 22. Lucae 10. Saviour himself the secretest conversions here of sinners and rejoyce in them Saints being in their blessed estate like and equall unto them and those who together behold the Charity of their heavenly Lord in whom Morali 14. lib. 4 Dialog all things are contained can be ignorant of nothing saith St. Gregory belonging unto them in which sense St Paul telleth us that we are come to Mount Sion heavenly Jerusalem and City of the living God to the frequency of millions of Angells and the Church of those who were first conscribed amongst them c. so gone before us as we are hopefull to arrive unto them and become as now they are fully united unto him qui est caput super omnem Ecclesiam who is head of his whole Church so as they and we belong to one body and have some communion as fellow members under one and the same head together Calvin therefore without book and out of his own hereticall fancy affirmed the Saints of heaven to be secluded from having any commerce at all with us and that they pray in generall but not in particular for us because forsooth they cannot hear us for how saith he hath it been revealed unto any man that Saints have ears so long as to reach down from heaven unto us whilst we pray unto them Which Question had been better made by some Infidel than any Christian Authour of learning or judgement proposed for who knoweth not that pure Spirits such as are souls separated from bodies have a spiritual manner both of hearing and speaking without ears tongue or other corporall senses so as it would be no absurd thing if I should tell Calvin that Lucifer in hell knew him very well and such Heresies as were to the ruine of souls broached by him albeit he had no eyes to view his papers or ears to hear his Doctrines preached by the naturall light of his understanding in absence also penetrated by him which is as ears and eys unto him whose substance as we conceive not so is the spiritual manner of his understanding things hidden wholy from us wherein Angels and Saints in heaven do far no doubt exceed him because they have a purer and higher light to wit of glory communicated by God unto them and according to his absurd question of long ears for Saints to hear our prayers directed unto them a man may well conceive him to have scarcely believed that our Saviour as Man according to his humane and glorified soul heareth the prayers of men here on earth directed unto him or knoweth their actions according to which notwithstanding he shall judge them Calvin in the mean time could not but know when he impugned our invocation of Saints that we in our addresses unto them intend nothing else but to obtain more easily at Gods hands by their intercession blessings and benefits needfull for us For if the joynt Prayers of two or three here on earth be more gratefull to God than of one alone and more effectuall to obtain what we ask of him how can it be but profitable for us to have with our own prayers the suffrages of Angels and Saints holily conjoyned we of our selves bâ—ing sinful wretches and wholy unworthy to obtain any thing of him Wherefore as Malefactors here on earth think themselves happy when any favourite of their Prince will be pleased to sollicite their pardon for crimes committed against him so are we in a like manner humble suiters unto these Courtiers of heaven to become unto their divine Lord and ours Mediators and Intercessors for us Neither doth this Mediation of Saints derogate any thing at all from the mediation of Christ For that he immediately by himself and in the right of his own merits advocateth and obtaineth at his fathers hands what graces he will himself and blessings for us Whereas Saints in a mediate and subalternate way of Mediation by him to wit and his merits who redeemed them and us also become intercessors for us And this custome of praying in this manner unto Saints hath been so anciently used in Christs Church as all Greek and Latine Fathers almost whose works are now extant have approved and practiced it Angels saith S. Ambrose are to be Lib. de Viduâ—â— invoked to our help the Martyrs are to be sought unto whose bodies we keep as pledges of their love towards us And S. Hierome disputeth thus against cap. 3. Vigilantius as now I may doe against Calvin or any other Protestant Thou sayest in thy Book that whilest we live we may pray for each other but not after death But I tell thee that if the Apostles and Martyrs living here in bodies could pray for others when they cared for themselves how much more may they now do that after their Crowns and victories So that if our Adversaries would admit any true Church or prâ—ctice of Religion before them they could not but acknowledge this doctrine and custome taught and practiced in our Church to have ever been truly Christian and Catholick but as their heretical Conventicles are newly raised so will they have a new Religion believed and practised in them The eighth Controversie Of reverencing of Saints Reliques AS we yeeld not unto Saints themselves now in heaven a divine honor but onely a reverend respect infinitely inferiour unto it so likewise their Reliques are not but by the same reverenced by us And our Adversaries sencelesly abuse words when they accuse us of Idolatry for yeelding this reverence unto them these Reliques being not false Gods or things belonging unto them but Reliques and parts of their bodies who were Gods true Servants and either
read the life of Saint Anthony written by Saint Athanasius and of Saint Hillarion written by Saint Hierome shall see what a heavenly force they ascribed to the Sign of the Crosse either made upon themselves or in the aire against Devils in dreadfull apparitions troublesome unto them so as by the contempt thereof any man may conclude Protestants to be no good Christians or devout rememberers of Christ crucified for them The tenth Controversie Of purgatory and Prayer for the Dead CAlvin saith that with Voice Lib. 3. Instit c. 5 6. Throat and Sides together Purgatory is to be exploded as a damnable invention evacuating the death of Christ derogating from Gods mercy and causing many Scandalls and impieties to be practised amongst Christians With like fury also he condemneth Prayers for the dead calling it an abominable superstition a prophane Invocation of God an inconsiderable credulity timely he confesseth brought into the Church and so timely indeed as the Apostles themselves were authors thereof For that S. Dennes S. Pauls Disciple in a whole Chapter together declareth the manner of Christian buriall used in his time with particular prayer made by the Bishop for the party deceased And Calvin could not but know that Aerius was anciently condemned and is by S. Epiphanius S. Augustine and others ranked amongst hereticks for denying this pious and laudable custome ever used in Christs Church before him of praying for the Dead full of charity towards souls departed and no wayes tending either to evacuate the merits of Christs death or to lessen Gods mercy towards us purchased by it but rather extolling both sithenâ—e to satisfie his Justice and to lessen the rigour thereof against sinners and sins in this life not satisfied for by them he is contented to accept the prayers of living persons and to have Christs merits and satisfactions in severall manners as by Alms Pennances Sacrifices and other means as holy Suffrages offered for them Which made the Holy Ghost truly no doubt Machab. l. 2 to tell us that it was a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be absolved from their sinnes But by these new Doctours Scriptures themselves must be denied and all other testimonies rejected if in any part they serve to disprove their novell and groundlesse fancies For if we tell them that S. Dennis of Arepaâ—ogita affirmed Prayers to have been offered for the dead even in the Apostles time they will call him a counterfeit pratling Authour whom S. Gregory 1000 years since called an ancient venerable Father acknowledged by other Popes Fathers and Councels to have been S. Pauls learned Schollar and the greatest amongst Christian Divines as S. John Damascen calleth him If we tell them that ancient Tertullian Lib. de Corona milit numbred Sacrifices for the dead 1400 years since amongst Apostolicall Traditions that Origen plainly taught Hom. 6. in Exodum a purgation of Souls and by fire after death that S. Cyprian held it a different Epist ad Antonium thing for martyrs to be crowned in their deaths and for others to pay the last farthing and after lasting torments to be freed out of prison That all ancient Liturgies have prayer for the dead in them Apostolically In colloquio cum sorore de resurrectione ordained that S. Gregory Nissen taught a purgation for souls after death and so did S. Augustine in his Enchiridion and in many other of his works That S. Ambrose prayed for Cap. 110. Theodosius and Valentinian Emperours in both his funeral Orations of them that sundry ancient Fathers out of S. Pauls words 1 Cor. 3. have gathered that such as build upon Christ the Foundation stubble and straw shall come not withstanding to be saved yet so as by fire they will not to all these and other like testimonies stick to say that all these chief Fathers of Christs Church were in this point over credulous and swayed by the bad custom of their time in allowing and practising such superstitions and particularly Calvin if you tell him that S. Monica desired to be prayed for after her death and remembred at our Lords Altar will answer that it was anile votum an old womans tale and dislike S. Augustine himself for recounting it The eleventh Controversie Of Sacramentall Confession and Priestly Absolution CAlvin asketh us with what face Lib. 4. Institut c. 15. Num. 3. we can affirm Confession of sinnes to a Priest to have bin a divine Institution affirmeth also elsewhere with In Antid Sect. 6. c. 15. a notorious falshood that Confession was free to be made or not untill Innocent the third with a few horned Lib. 3. Institut 6. 4. num 17. beasts ordained this snare to make a generall intanglement of Christian people calling in another place Confession of Penitents made to their Pastors lib. 3. c. 3â— num 1. c. 4. nu 12. â—â—iring and tearing of mens Consciences and no lesse absurdly than Luther had taught before him he denieth the Priests to have received any greater power from Christ to absolve sinnes than all other Persons men or women onely by their age and wisdome they are able to afford direction and comfort unto such as come afflicted in conscience unto them Lib. 4. c. 1. num 21. 22. Yet afterwards changed in his doctrine he affirmeth by Christs meriâ—s and power of the holy Ghost this benefit of the Churches Keyes and remission of sinnes to be daily imparted unto the faithfull people by them who as Legates of Christ Lib. 3. c. 4. num 13 14. 17 18. have the ministery of reconciliation committed unto them exhorting in another place each one burthened with Sinfulnesse of his conscience to confesse them privately to the Pastor and particularly as he can remember them and esteeme it no small benefit that he can repair unto one who hath this power of reconciling souls committed unto him And from this doctrine the use of private and publique pennance hath been brought into all Calvinian Cosistories not without frequent defamings of such as fit in the stoole of pennances to be absolved of sins confessed by them Whereas in our Church men burthened in Conscience come to their Ghostly Fathers and are heard whilest they confess their sinnes charitably by them secure to have nothing revealed afterward which hath been confessed unto them So that our incarnate Lord and Redeemer never opened the inmost bowells of his mercie and bounty more widely towards us than when in his Church he erected this high Tribunal of Justice as I may well call it and mercy conjoyned ordaining Priests and Pastors of Soules to be Judges thereof with most ample Commission given unto them to absolve all Crimes whatsoever committed against him not once or twice but so often as men fall into them and came penitently to confesse them with a purpose no more to fall into them which kind of clemency was never used
his commandements And it is said of Joshua that he Cap. 11. fulfilld all the commandments which Moses gave unto him and omitted not all precepts which God had given unto him And of S. John Baptists parents it is said that they were just and walked in all the commandements and justifications of our Lord without complaint for which reason also Noah Abraham Job David and others are called in Scripture just persons and faithfull servants of God loving him with their whole heart in which love the observance of his law and commandments is certainly included according to S. Johns words He who saith he loveth God and observeth not his commandements is a lyar to wit according to that degree of love which is in the first commandment required of him not meaning an infinite love as God is in himself worthy to be beloved nor such an ardent and incessant love as is in the blessed of heaven towards him nor such a love as a holy man on earth may by any helps of grace possibly attain unto But only so far as in our love no creature be preferred before him or for the love of any created thing we be drawn to offend him And to this degree of divine love every man is tyed and cannot attain heaven without it according to S. Johns words qui non diligit manet in morte he is dead that loveth not and for what more he addeth to this love he shall in heaven be glorioushâ— ewarded Neither can any reasonable man conceive so foolishly of our heavenly Redeemer the Word and Wisdome of his Father that after his last Supper he would more than once require of his Disciples so dear as they were unto him that they should shew their love towards him in keeping his commandments if he had known it to have been as Calvin affirmeth impossible for them or any man to observe them nor had he so sweetly required of them the obfervance of them If you love me keep my Commandements For had they believed Calvins wicked doctrine they might have replied and asked of him Lord how can'st thou require of us if we love thee to keep thy commandments if it be impossible for us to observe them And when the young man in the Gospel told him That he had kept them from his youth our Saviour denied not what he said but rather loved him for it as the Evangelist telleth us and proposed a higher course of Sanctity unto him Moreover were Calvins doctrine true when the young man asked our Saviour what he might do to possesse life everlasting his answer was dreadfull to him and us also If thou wilâ— enter into life keep the Commandments For if this condition be needfull as Christs speech importeth and impossible to be Serm. attende attende tibi performed as Calvin affirmeth how can any man hope to be saved Wherefore S. Basil rightly affirmed it to be a wicked saying that Gods Commandments were impossible to be observed S. Hierom said well that Christ coÌ„manded In Mal. 5. perfect things not impossible St. Lib. de nat gratia c. 43. 69. Austine in sundry places averreth and proveth this doctrine thus declared more then 1200. years since in the 2. Arcasican Council Wee believe as a Catholick point of faith that men baptised by the help of Christ assistance of his grace if they labour faithfully with it may perform what to Hom. 8. de paenitentia the attaining of eternall life is required of them S. Chrysostome moreover addeth that many do more than is required of them to be saved Reason likewise it self teacheth us that if Gods commandments were impossible to be observed no man could offend by the breach of them because no man can be reasonably tyed to what is impossible to be observed by him whence it would follow that sinne consisting in the transgression of Gods law should be no sin at all as not voluntarily but necessarily incurred Neither hath Christ provided sufficiently for our salvation against many texts of scripture if by his grace he neither hath nor can inable us to fulfill his law and Commandements under pain of damnation required of us not without a manifest cruelty against his known goodnesse and mercy towards us and against the very end of his coming to reedeem us that as holy Zachary sung in his Canticle Being delivered out of the bands of our enemies we may serve him in sanctity and justice all dayes of our life The seventeenth Controversie Of Feasts and Fasts Apostolically ordained and neglected both by English Calvinists and Independants AMongst whom no feast at all is observed but Sunday whereas in all Provinces belonging to the Low-Country States those who professe Calvins doctrine and decline not unto the utmost strictness impiety thereof are yearly accustomed with great solemnity to observe for two dayes together the feast of our Saviours Nativity and in like manner the festivities of Easter and Whitsuntide Our Saviours Presentation also his Incarnation and the Epiphany are amongst them festivally observed and so are the Feasts of All Saints and of the Apostles with some other chief Festivities and in other of lesse note Servants and Tradesmen abstain from work as I have noted in several Cities whilst I lived amongst them and hereby they retain some shew of Christianity amongst them Ask likewise of any Pastor or intelligent person amongst them as I have done of many why they celebrate for example Christs Nativity they will tell you it is to honour his comming into the world to redeem us Ask also why they keep Easter they will answer it to be in memory of his Resurrection after he had by his death on the Crosse redeemed us And ask them why they celebrate Pentecost they will say because on that day the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and Disciples of our Saviour to write his law in their hearts and make them able to preach and teach it unto others also and Pastors in their sermons on such dayes have as I have said a commendable care to declare unto the people the mysteries and meanings of such festivities affirming them to be no good Chistians nor worthy to partake in such blessings received by the Son of God who will not in such feasts gratefully and particularly acknowledge them All which religious manner of observing Lib. â— instit cap. 8. n. 8. sequent Feasts for the signification of them and chiefe Mysteries of faith remembred in them is held by Calvin himselfe and other pure professors of his doctrine to be plainly Judaicall and superstitious Yea and that Sunday it selfe is for orders sake onely in the Church to be so indifferently observed as Christians may if they will choose any other day in the week in place thereof So willing is he and his followers to blot out of mens memories all benefits and blessings by the Son of God conâ—â—rred on us yet they cannot but know that Christians made in