in the same Church and I pray then where will your Errours remain but in your own bosoms But see further the truth of this our Saviour parting out of this world tells his Apostles That he would be with them even to the end of the world so that we have two Persons of the Blessed Trinity promised to assist the Church of God for ever Matth. 28. v. 20. besides God the Fathers Divine aid and if this Church Erre with their guiding then there can be no truth at all for us to be guided by for this is as clear as the Sun that if the Church of God be guided by an Infallible Spirit it cannot Erre And the Church of God is guided by an Infallible Spirit therefore the Church of God cannot Erre And though I have made this good already yet I will make it more plainly appear from Christs own words where he exhorting Brethren to be reconciled one to another which if they will not do by reasonable perswasions they should tell the Church Matth. 18. v. 17. and if they will not hear the Church let them be as Heathens and Publicans by which it is plain that if the Church were not Infallible Just and free from Errour our Saviour would never have tyed us to her Judgement in our Faith and Manners under so sad a penalty as being a Heathen if we do not hear and submit to her and therefore it is very necessary for every one to submit to Gods Church which is infallibly true lest they be Heathens in the esteem of God and Man and consequently out-lawes to the Kingdom of Heaven Again see what our Saviour saith to this purpose in the same Gospel And I say unto thee Matth. 16. v. 18. that thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it now if the Church could be erroneous then you must deny this Gospel to be true for no Errours can be in the Church but by the prevailing power of the Devil which is meant by Hell-Gates and which our Saviour saith shall never prevail against it so by this we are certain the Church cannot Erre and we may confidently confide in her in all matters of our Salvation But for your further assurance if our Saviour be not enough I will show you what St. Paul saith concerning this truth where he confirms all that hath been said of it speaking to holy Timothy 1 Tim. 3. v. 15. But if I tarry long that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave they self in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth Now here I might stop and say no more for Saint Paul hath said enough for if it be the piller or support of truth and the ground from whence truth is derived is it not monstrous to think of Errour and I would fain know in what place Christians should ever be free from errour in their Faith if not in the Church of God and for to say that there is no way to be free from it would be very strange for then all men would grope in dark uncertainties which is quite contrary to the Qualities and Excellencies of Gods Church as was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah speaking of the Church of Christ Chap. 35. v. 8. And an high way shall be there and it shall be called the way of holiness and fools shall not erre therein now if there be no possibility for fools to erre in it certainly wise men cannot But this is no small subtilty of our Adversaries to hold this opinion well knowing that their Church hath been and is full of errours and that the gates of Hell hath prevailed against it hath manifestly appeared and doth now appear when all that they can do cannot allay the furious spirits of one Kingdom nor reduce them to any Obedience to their Church so that if they did not hold this Opinion as an Article of their Church all the world would see theirs was not the Church of God because it hath errours by which they are forced to maintain it as well as they can though it be against both Scripture and Reason too Now that this Church of God is onely the Roman Catholick is plainly shown already by her conformity to and practice of Gods holy word in all her points of Faith which she teacheth Christians to believe and therefore all her enemies wrong her and themselves too in saying the contrary for wheres they cry out the Roman Church was once the true Church of God but she is fallen from it now as they never could prove the time when nor the occasion how so is it impossible it ever should because as I have already shown Gods Holy Spirit guides and directs it that the Gates of Hell can never prevail to overthrow it nor bring it to errour And now having sufficiently proved the Infallibility of Gods Church I cannot but advise every one that hath any care of their eternal welfare to imbrace and believe what she preacheth concerning the same and so conclude with that of St. Augustine Many things saith he with much reason kept me in obedience to the Catholick Church the consent of people and Nations holds me the Authority of the same Church which is risen up by Miracle nourished with Hope augmented by Charity established by its Antiquity the succession of Bishops holds me therein whâ—ch beginning in the See and Authority of Saint Peter to whom God recommended the care of his Flock is maintained to this present time lastly the name of Catholick holds me in it and addeth he would not believe the Gospel it self if he were not assured of it by the Catholick Church Chap. 12. Proving the Doctrine of Remission of Sins as commanded by Christ and practised by his Apostles contrary to the Opinion of Protestants WEre not the mindes of many men corrupted with imperious principles they could not be so evil as to question yea deny the gifts both of Grace and Nature that God hath given both to Angels and Men when we have much reason to adore and praise him that he hath so much esteem of any of our Nature as to bestow such prerogatives upon them amongst which this is not the least that I am to treat of concerning remission of Sins by a Priest which though there be a grand mistake in this Point amongst Protestants and we are abused in it yet I shall by Gods assistance and by his holy word clear the mistake which may easily remedy the abuse for in all Mysteries of Christian Religion we are to consult with Gods word which if rightly understood cannot deceive us and not with our own shallow understandings which easily may neither are we to be led away with aiery fancies of our own nor with a giddy multitude nor ought the slanderous tongues of men to be trusted in but if you finde it plainly declared
so I will first show it you by the Infallible Prophesies of the Prophets of God Isa 2. v. 2. and first of Isaiah And it shall come to pass in the last dayes that the Mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountains Christs Church and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it so here is one true testimony that the Catholick Church shall be spread in all parts and all Nations shall partake of her holy Doctrine and not to lye hid in a corner as in one Kingdome or City or Congregation or this mans Church or that mans Church as all Sectaries do by which I shall plainly prove they cannot be any thing like Gods Church And again the same Prophet saith speaking of the many benefits that we shall enjoy under Christs Church That the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord Chap. 11 v. 9 10. as the waters cover the Sea Now as we know they are spread in all parts of the world so is the knowledge of Gods truth spread by his Church in the same manner which quality agreeth to no other Church but the Roman Catholick The same Prophet declares further Chap. 49. v. 22 23. That Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queens thy nursing Mothers and to show the great reverence they should bear to this Church of God saith he They shall bow down to thee with their faces toward the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet Now I would demand what Church or Sect in the Christian world that hath Kings and Queens for their nursing Fathers and Mothers but the Roman Catholick and so by consequence cannot be the Church of God but are as wandering sheep having no true shepherd and so are daily exposed to the rage and fury of that ravening wolf John 10. v. 12. the Devil Again the same Prophet speaking how largely Gods Church should be stretched forth under the Gospel Isa 54. v. 2 3. saith Enlarge the place of thy Tent let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation spare not lengthen thy Cords and strengthen thy stakes for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate Cities to be inhabited Now let the understanding Reader judge where this Prophesie is fulfilled in Protestants and Sectaties or in the Roman Church which is thus stretched out and hath her Members in the West-Indies and East-Indies in China in Tartary in Egypt in Assyria in Africa and Asia in Turky and all parts of Europe as the Empire of Germany the Kingdoms of Spain France Poland England Dominions of Italy and every Land in Christendom is either all or a considerable part of this Church which none in the world can say besides and so are very far off from fulfilling this Prophesie And in another place he saith Chap. 66. v. 18. And it shall come to pass that I will gather all Nations and Tongues and they shall come and see my glory Thus hath this holy Prophet by Gods inspiration foretold clearly the Universal or Catholick State of the Church of God in the time of the Gospel and Jeremiah the Prophet hath not been silent in Prophesying the fame for saith he Jer. 31. v 37. If heaven above can be measured and the foundation of the earth searched out beneath then will I cast off the seed of Israel and the measuring line shall go forth from Gareb to compass about Goath all which do declare the large extent of Christs Church And for confirmation of these Prophesies and what else hath been said I shall produce now the words of our Blessed Saviour himself who telling his Disciples of all the troubles they were to suffer for his name before Kings and Judges Ma k 13. v. 10. but saith he The Gospel must first be published among all Nations which plainly shows that Gods Church must be Catholick or Universal and I would fain learn from our Adversaries what Church hath taken the pains to publish the Gospel to all Nations and so fulfil these Prophesies but the Pastors of the Church of Rome for this may be urged to the shame of all Sects that if none took more pains in converting of Heathens Jews and Infidels then they do many millions of souls might perish for want of the knowledge of the living God but they instead of labouring to convert forreign Nations and so make the Church Universal lie at home in a corner of the world jangling one with another and sleeping on beds of Doun in Ladies bosoms and yet by all means theirs is the true Church and they the onely Pastors sent to convert the world and yet never intend to go about any such matter It is a wonderful thing to consider that men that read the Bible and all these Prophesies can be so ignorant to think that Gods Church should be pinn'd up in so narrow limits as any one Sect or Congregation did Christ himself preach for that and command his Apostles to publish the Gospel to all Nations who did so and lost their lives in that work was all this done I say to have his Church thrust up in a corner and to be no where else how then shall all Nations come to know God how shall they be Baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost how shall they partake of any Sacraments how shall the Church hear their differences Mat. 18. v. 17. and decide them as our Saviour saith it shall how I say shall all this be done if it were so straitned but since she is a Catholick Church she is every where and so all persons inspired by God in all places may receive if they will the foresaid benefits which otherwise can never be done And thus is plainly shown you that there is an Universal Church and that it is the Roman Catholick is as plain in its agreement with Gods Word according to Saint Paul who highly commends the same Faith Rom. 1. v. 7 8. in these words To all that be in Rome beloved of God called to be Saints grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ First I thank my God for you all that your Faith is spoken of throughout the whole world from which words we may gather that if the Faith of the Romans was so inlarged in the world sixteen hundred years ago that now it is much more for then Gods Church was but in her Infancy and now she is in her flourishing State she was then under most cruel persecutions by Tyrants and now praised be God she is at rest with her friends so that now we may clearly see that all those that are shut up in such narrow Corners are meerly Sects and Heresies and are clean shut out from the bosom of the Spouse of Christ which is his Holy Catholick Church
and so consequently are in a very dangerous state as to the salvation of their souls Our Saviour doth further demonstrate this extent of his Church by the similitude of a grain of Mustard-seed Mark 4. v. 31 32. which being at first very small it groweth to a great tree so that the fowls of the aire makes their nests therein even so the Church was at first very small but now it is so spread over the face of the earth that all men may make their nests that is come into her Communion and be secure of their salvation living according to her holy commands which you see are agreeable to the Divine Word of God Again Christ saith speaking of the visibility of his Church in the world A City set upon a hill cannot be hid Mat. 5. v. 14 15. neither do men light a Candle and put it under a Bushel but on a Candlestick and it giveth light to all in the house Now this light that Gods Church was to give by this here spoken by our Saviour is not at all seen to forreign parts by any Church but the Roman Catholick who hath the light of her Doctrine as far extended as the Sun hath his beams when all others being but in Corners at home can give no light at all to any which clearly shows none of them can be Gods Church but of the Synagogue of Satan for they have none of the marks of the true Church so plainly set down in Scripture as to be Catholick or Universal and to be visible in all Ages to be at union and peace one with another to convert Nations and several others which they have none for instead of universality and being spread all over the world many of them will not make ten Parishes in ten Kingdoms and the best of them scarce a whole Kingdom in the whole world and instead of being visible to all ages the names of Protestants Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists and the rest were never heard of a hundred and sixty years past and as for their union in Faith which Christ left his Church as a mark I leave to all people to judge how much that belongs to any of them that have seen and known these twenty years confusion about Religion for Saint Paul saith of the Church of God If any man be contentious we have no such custome And for their converting of Nations I am sure they will not boast of that themselves since they never did any By all this it is plain that as the Roman Church hath all these properties so she must be and is this onely true Catholick and Apostolick or none at all and from her must we receive our Faith according to that of our Creed I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church so that they that deny the Church to be Catholick or the Catholick Church do plainly deny their own Bibles and the Apostles Creed which are the Articles of our Faith But having said enough on this subject for all reasonable people I will conclude with that saying of St. Augustine Augustin tract 1. in Ep. Joan For albeit particular hills in one Countrey may be unknown in another yet saith he a Mountain that passeth throughout all Countreyes and filleth up the whole world as Daniel Prophefied the Church of Christ should do cannot but be apparent to the sight of all men Dan. 2. v. 44 45. but onely of such as illingly shut their eyes from the sight thereof Chap. 14. Proving that Fasting on certain Dayes commanded by Gods Church to be lawful and good contrary to the Opinion of Protestants HAd Almighty God when he created man a reasonable creature to do his will and to live in sobriety and temperance made him an Epicure and designed him for no other purpose he could not have lived either in more contempt or less practice of this Divine Vertue then the people of our Age do who indeed look upon all the rare Examples and holy Institutions of our Blessed Saviour as things indifferent and of no concern at all to them nay are so far from the practice of them themselves that they deride and scorn those that do as if it were a crime to be vertuous or to follow the examples and commands of our Saviour who in many places of his holy word hath exhorted us to the good work of Fasting as very necessary to subdue our sensual appetites and to obtain heaven This will evidently appear if you confult with Holy Writ where we shall first see our Saviours great example in fasting forty dayes and forty nights Mat. 4. v. 2 and I would gladly know wherefore he did so if not for our example of a good life for he never committed sin and therefore did not require to do any such thing for punishment and I think no man will say he did it for pleasure by which it is plain that he fasted for our example but the common objection is can you fast as Christ did if not to what purpose is yours done he fasted forty dayes can you do so and thus people would fain slip their necks out of the nooze for I would ask them wherefore was Christ humble and meek why did he pray and watch and weep why was he patient and courteous to all but onely for our example that we should imitate him and shall we not strive to do any of these vertues but slight them all because we cannot do them with that perfection as Christ did them is not this meer madness to think but let such people know that as it is impossible for the best of us to do them with exactness as he did so God doth not require it from us but to the utmost of our powers we are bound to practise them and so we are this Christian act of fasting the force and power of which Mat. 17. v. 21. as our Saviour saith Casteth out some sorts of Devils which being so we may very well think that God cannot but be pleased with the doing of it and we may justly imagine that the Apostles were strict observers of this rule for Saint Paul in his counsel that he gave to Timothy bids him to mingle a little wine with his water for his healths sake 1 Tim. 5. v. 23. which plainly shows that he chiefly abstain'd from strong drink drinking onely water and so it is said of St. John Baptist that his meat was locusts and wilde honey which was very hard food for nourishing the body in any delights but rather served as they designed them for mortification and that is the onely cause that Gods Church commands her Children to fast and abstain from meat that they may in some measure break their own wills and mortifie their fleshly members that they may be more conformable to Gods will and better disposed to his holy service It would be too tedious to set down all places of holy Scripture to prove this as the often fasting
now and yet might as well have pretended the spirit as they since we see he was so well given as to go so far from his own Countrey to worship God in Jerusalem and to read the Bible in his going home In like manner our Saviour meeting with two of his Disciples going to Emaus Luke 24. v. 27 45. after his Resurrection it is said he expounded to them all the Scriptures and when they were altogether he appeared to them and opened their understandings that they might know the Scriptures from whence we may justly gather that if his Disciples and Apostles which were so conversant with Christ in his life-time were so ignorant of Scripture as not to know the meaning of the Prophets which foretold his Resurrection the third day and other Mysteries of his Death and sufferings what ignorance then have we or at least we ought to think so that never had those large means that the Apostles had but such is the miserable state of these unhappy times that many think themselves more wise and more holy then the Apostles were or then the whole Church of God is now and I think in time they will like Lucifer suppose themselves equal to God himself Thus having sufficiently proved the difficulty of understanding the Scripture with the danger of expounding it to our own private sense together with what course to follow in knowing the true meaning which is by adhering to Gods holy Church I will conclude with that saying of Saint Augustine Augustin l. 1. cont Crescon Then do we hold saith he the verity of the Scriptures when we do that which now seemeth good to the Universal Church which the authority of Scripture themselves do commend so that forasmuch as the holy Scripture cannot deceive whosoever then is afraid to be deceived with the obscurity of questions let him therein ask counsel of the same Church which the holy Scripture most certainly and evidently pointeth and sheweth unto us Chap. 16. Proving the necessity of the Churches Divine Servince to be said in the Latine Tongue or in one Language in all places of the world where it is exercised contrary to Protestants Opinion DId all Christians follows the counsel of our Blessed Saviour in his commanding us to submit and adhere to Gods Church there would not be such quarrellings in our mindes nor bad speeches from our mouths against her holy Institutions which though sometimes have not an apparent rise from Scripture yet are ordained in the Church by the instinct of the Holy Ghost who as I said is alwayes with her to direct her in all her proposals to us concerning our Salvation and as we may reasonably think that as God hath committed to her charge the dispensation of the holy Sacraments to us and other high qualities so he hath invested her with power to Ordain Constitute and Decree any thing that may be to the good and benefit of the same Church which Decrees and Constitutions we are bound to observe and without any difficulty in Conscience may so long as it is not against Gods word but rather agreeable to the same amongst which things that are thus constituted by the Church this of the Latine Service is one which I shall prove to be somewhat agreeable to Scripture and altogether to Reason and the practice of the Church of God in all Ages First we will observe something pertinent to this in Saint Lukes Gospel wheere he declares Luke 1. v. 10. that when Zacharias the Priest was offering and praying to God in the Temple for himself and all the people that the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of his offering Incense by which it appears that they knew not what he said nor understood any thing of it which is now the main objection against us in this point by our Adversaries but to satisfie these people we are to take notice that the publick or common Service of Gods Church being compos'd of Sucrifice Prayers and Thanksgivings is therefore chiefly designed for the honour and glory of God as being every day offered up to him by the Priests and not for the edification of the people so much by understanding it as by the benefit they receive and partake of being present at it for when the Priest saith the service of the Church he offers it to God for himself 1 Cor. 14 v. 2. Heb 5. v. 1.2 3. for the people present for the whole Church or for any other necessities of people that are absent so that it matters not whether they understand him or no since they have as much benefit of his Prayers as if they did for if they heard him not speak a word it were the same thing so long as God both hears him and understands him to whom it is offered and designed for in Sacrifice Prayer and Thanksgiving the Priests spak to God and not to the people for example when any man lies sick or in distress at home he sends to the Church to be prayed for by the Minister and Congregation now shall we think because he hears nor understands not those which pray for him that he hath no benefit by their prayers this were absurd to think for then we should be never the better for our Saviours Intercession to his heavenly Father for us whom we understand not nor know when nor for what he intercedes to him and yet we all receive much good by it and so we do in the Priestâ— saying the Divine Service who representeth the place of our Saviour on earth to mediate for us and we are assured that the effectual servent prayers of a righteous man prevaileth much James 5. v. 16. whether we hear and understand them or no but yet to discover the folly of those that impugne this practise they may please to take notice that the Latine tongue is not so much unknown or understood as it is thought it is for if there was any need to understand the Service as I have proved there is not there be many thousands of our Church and others that understand the Latine Tongue and those people that do not are so well instructed by the Church that with the instruction and the custom of hearing Mass they know when to kneel and when to stand when to pray and when to give thanks when to do reverence and when not besides most of the Service they have in their English Books and may know any part of the rest when they will if there were any need as there is none so that it is not said in Latine because the common people should not understand it as Hereticks falsly report but for a great necessity and convenience in the Church as I shall suddenly prove but first it is observable that though the common people in England read th Bible in English yet they understand not half of it nor which is worse are never made to understand it yet Protestants will say they must
not therefore leave the reading of it quite because the understanding of some parts is beneficial to them so their Common Prayer being read and sung in Cathedrals and other places is not understood by many of the wiser sort much less by the common people and so is all one as if it were in Latine yet if there were any benefit to be had it would be never the less to them because they understood it not since as I said before it is offered to God onely for all the Church and not to us And since it is so in these practices amongst them I hope they will not but think that those that are ignorant amongst us may and do receive much comfort by our Churches Service since by being so often at it and good instructions from Priests they come in short time to the knowledge and meaning of it but perhaps some may object that since we cannot understand them perfectly why should we go to Church to hear the Servince to which I anser that it is without complare better to go to Gods Church to offer our Devotions by every ones praying to God by being present at the Instituion of the Blessed Sacrament by seeing devout people receive it with true devotion besides none but Atheists will deny but that it is better to do any act of Devotion in a Church dedicated to Gods holy Service and nothing else then in a prophane house which is chiefly designed for temporal business but indeed as Protestants do their Devotion in Churches there is no great difference who sit on their tails staring about them when their Common-Prayer is said and have more regard to the manner then to the matter performed But it is far otherwise with Catholicks in the Church for there every one is on their knees praying to God for such things as they stand in need of and the Priest prayes for them all so that were it in the Mother Tongue it signified nothing more and if they heard him not speak a word it were the same for why the Priest is bound to say the Divine Service every day if there were no person present but himself and yet we may receive benefit by his Prayers too that neither see hear nor understand him because the prayers of any good man prevailes with God though the persons prayed for were a thousand miles off This now that hath been said may suffice any moderate person as to the belief that there is no necessity of understanding the Common Service as there is in the hearing of Sermons for those are alwayes preached in the Mother Tongue to common people because when the Priest saith Mass or Divine Service he speaks to God and when they preach it is directed to man onely But now I will show the reason why it is said in Latine in all places of the world and the convenience of it First we are to consider that the Catholickd Church is not pinn'd up into one Kingdom or Dominion as other Churches are that say their Service in the Mother tongue for which reason since that all Nations from her receive one uniform Faith so they have all one Service in one Language which hath many conveniences with it and no incommodity at all for by that maeans Priests that are sent into Forreign Countreyes where they speak never a word of the Language when they come there yet may do that for which they were sent and commanded there that is say Mass and administer the Sacraments as well as if they did and those in those Countreyes where they are sent can as well understand them as their own Priests they had before being Natives Besides many thousands of Catholicks travel from one part of Christendome to another and come where they will in any of their Churches they understand and hear the same Service that they do at home which if it were not said in all places in one Language they could not for since the Catholick Church is composed of so many Nations and are continually travelling and mixing one with the other it would be barbarious to all strangers to hear that Service which none of them understood If there were any necessity for the understanding of it as for example the French Spaniards Italians Dutch â—â—sh c. come all at one time to our Service here in England now were it said in English it would be barbarous to them all but being in the same Tongue as it is in their own Countreyes they understand it as well as if they were there so that the discreet Reader may see what necessity and convenience the Church hath in using the Latine service which if it were confined to so narrow limits as others are would use none but the Mother Tongue as others do so that all Christians may see the integrity of Gods Church which in this and all other points orders every thing for the good and convenience of all her Members which is done with so much wisdome and prudence that it plainly appears to be guided by the Spirit of God as also the malice of our enemies is shown who make people believe that Papists are kept in gross ignorance and must not read the Bible nor must not understand the Common Service because they shall not as they say know what the evil of it is and such fooleries in continually buzzed in their ears but bow slanderously let every Christian judge Now that this hath been the practice of the whole Church for this sixteen hundred years and the belief of all the ancient Fathers our adversaries themselves know sufficiently yet for the love of their large Revenues will not discover it nor other points as true as Gospel to the people that want understanding for which one day they must be sure to give a severe account to God whom they cannot deceive And for to bring in the Sentences of the Fathers to prove this would swell this Book into a larger Volume then is designed I will quote them where they are to be found that every one may know their practice in this point and first see Saint Cyprian Expo orat domn 13. Saint Gregory Lib. 7. Ep. 65. Jerome Prefat in Psal ad Sophron. Chrisos lib. 2. c. 13. and conclude with Saint Paul 1 Cor. 11. v. 16. that if after all this that hath been said any man be contentious we have no such custome nor the Church of God Chap 17. Treating in general of both Churches NOw having plainly proved all the chief points of our Faith by the Protestants own Bible I shall proceed a little to speak in general concerning both Religions that all men may consider and see by their Antiquity Rise Practice and Proceedings which is the likeliest to be the Church of God if it had not been or were not to be proed by Scripture for in the first place we shall finde all Religions but the Roman Catholick so like innocents for Age They are all Novelties in comparison to
great Benefice to another not at all considering that if they were true Pastours they should feed Gods Sheep that is go preach in remote places of the world amongst Pagans that know not God as the Apostles did and as Catholick Priests do to this day and as all must do that follow the examples and commands left by Christ or else they cannot be of his sending by which we have very great reason to suspect all these new teachers that lie at home at ease and pleasure and are so far from taking the toil and pains of converting Pagans This is too truly proved by many that dye and never have either Sacraments nor any other comfort from them in their agony of Death that many of them will not stir to a poor person that lies a dying because they cannot receive a golden Recompence Again in the Catholick Church there be many thousands of her Members that are Royally and Nobly Born to great Possessions that quit them all to serve God in strict courses of Religion as Fasting Watching Praying giving Almes and many other bodily Mortifications in Religious Houses where nothing but the Service of God is exalted The vast difference of the two Churches practice Now I would fain know from whence the doing of so much good doth proceed but from the inspiration of God and for to finde one now of any other Religion nobly born or of mean quality to forsake an Estate for the Service of God in their way would be such a miracle as was yet never heard of amongst them nor never will be but on the contrary all people of all conditions take their full career in doing what they please themselves for they will not hear the Church nor Fast nor Pray nor receive the Sacrament but when their fancy pleases and so are let run in a negligent state never to give an account for their sinful actions to the Church at all as God commands we should and so by tis means the flood-gate of all evil is opened for all manner of people to plunge themselves over head ad ears in misery and utter calamity I could enlarge my self in showing the vast difference in many other practices as the beauty and ornaments of Catholick Churches when others are like Barnes in comparison of them the Reverence and Devotion of the Catholick people in them who on their knees adore God whilst others sit at ease some gazing and some asleep with many other practices of the like kinde but this may and will suffice for all those that desire to entertain truth and to minde the salvation of their souls to show clearly which is Gods Church and which is not so that which the Prophet Isaiah foretold is here made good that the Church of God should be a plain way and a direct way so that fools could not erre therein so that all those that itnend at the last day to be separated from the goats must now in this life graze with Gods Sheep that is they must enter into communion with his Catholick Church whereof Christ Jesus is the Head The Conents of the Chapters Chapter 1. Proving the Blessed Sacrament page 1 Chap. 2. Proving Confession to a Priest page 11 Chap. 3. Proving Purgatory page 16 Chap. 4. Proving that none went to Heaven before Christ dyed page 25 Chap. 5. Proving that Angels and Saints know our actions on earth page 31 Chap. 6. Proving it lawful to pray to them page 39 Chap. 7. Proving it lawful to worship them page 52 Chap. 8. Proving the lawfulness of Images page 59 Chap. 9. Proving Free-will in Man to do good page 67 Chap. 10. Proving Good Works to be Meritorious page 76 Chap. 11. Proving that Gods Church cannot Erre page 84 Chap. 12. Proving the Churches Authority in Remission of Sins page 91 Chap. 13. Proving the Churches Vniversality page 98 Chap. 14. Proving the lawfulnesse of Fasting page 108 Chap. 15. Proving the difficulty of understanding Scripture page 114 Chap. 16. Proving the necessity of the Churches Service in one Tongue in all Kingdoms page 126 Chap. 17. Shewing in general the vast difference of both Churches page 137 FINIS