eodem sit vulnere mortuus Stella tells us that he was Stabb'd by the Husband of the Adulteress (x) Stella ad an 958. p. 133. Martin that he died in Adultery suddenly without Repentanoe (y) Chron. l. 4. p. 353. In this they all agree that he receiv'd his Death's Wound in the very act of Lewdness the Devil well rewarded him for the honour he was wont to do him in drinking his Health (z) Luitprand l. 6. c. 7. Pope Boniface VII (a) Plat. Stella and Boniface VIII (b) Mart. Polon l. 4. p. 439. Stella an 1291. Plat. both died as shamefully as they lived wickedly Benedict IX the Writers of his Life tell us was seen after Death in a monstrous Likeness and being asked after he had told who he was why he appeared in such a horrid shape he answered Because I lived like a Beast without Law and Reason it is the Will of God and of St. Peter that I should bear the shape of a Beast rather than of a Man (c) Plat. Mart. Polon Stella I should not have mention'd this had I not found it confirm'd by Cardinal Baronius (d) Baron Annal. an 1054 n. 54 55. Who also gives the Reasons from Petrus Damiani why he appeared in the compounded shape of a Bear and an Ass and adds the reason himself why he appeared by a Mill (e) Ibid. n. 56. Alexander VI by the mistake of his Cup-bearer drank himself that deadly Wine which he had prepared for the poisoning of his Cardinals and died forthwith (f) Papir Masson l. 6. fol. 374. Richer Hist Conc. general l. 4. par 1. p. 144. Paul IV went off the Stage with as much Infamy as his Enemies could desire scarce was the Breath out of his Body when the People mad with Fury ran through the City to destroy whatsoever had been done by him cursed the Memory of the Pope and of all Carafaes the Name of the Pope's Family burnt the new Prison of the Inquisition he had made for Hereticks Then running to the Capitol demolish'd his Marble Statue drew the Head of it through the Streets of the City and after many Contumelies threw it into Tiber. In fine an Edict was promulgated by which all were commanded under the heaviest Penalty to deface the Arms of the Caraffian Family in what place soever of the City they were found (g) Onuphr in vit This may I think suffice for Popes It were easy to observe several Circumstances in the Deaths of Morgan Gardiner Sanders and others which Men would be apt to conclude were special Indications of God's Displeasure against the Cause but it is needless because the advantage of the Protestants as to their Church-Men is already sufficiently manifest I might now proceed to Secular Persons and shew that their advantage is as great with respect to them It was before observ'd that the Cardinal has not produc'd so much as one unhappy Death of a Protestant Prince There has been one indeed here in England since the Cardinal's Death I mean King Charles I. But what is one to the many that might be mention'd of Popish Princes In France alone within the space of threescore Years we meet with no fewer than five immediately succeeding one the other without so much as one happy Death between viz. Hen. II Francis II Charles IX Hen. III and Hen. IV. I now leave the Romanists themselves to make the Conclusion which most naturally follows from the Premises And for a Conclusion of this Discourse desire them to observe the difference between Bellarmin's Authorities and mine Whereas what he reports of the unhappy Deaths of Protestants he has taken it from Papists and from such Papists who were their most implacable Enemies I have not said a Word of the unhappy Ends of Cardinals Popes and Popish Princes but what I have borrow'd from their own Writers THE END LONDON Printed by J. D. for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. ERRATA PAg. 335. l. 5. for there r. them P. 336. l. 22. r. Diocletian P. 344. l. last for found r. forc'd P. 349. Marg. l. 7. for caenani r. caenam P. 352. l. 27. for Phisician r. Physitian P. 354. Marg. for Vondra r. Voudra l. 6. for beaucomp r. beaucoup P. 358. Marg. l. 13. for pons r. pous The Fifteenth Note of the CHURCH EXAMINED VIZ TEMPORAL FELICITY Vltima Nota est Felicitas Temporalis divinitàs iis collata qui Ecclesiam defenderunt Bellarm. de Notis Ecclesiae Cap. 18. IMPRIMATUR August 12. 1687. Guil. Needham WE are now come to the Last of those Notes by which the Cardinal would perswade us the true Church may be easily known He had laboured hard to make them up so many but he was resolved never to leave raising of Notes till he had his full Complement of Fifteen And in this he seems to have been put to such a Shift as some Generals sometimes are who finding themselves in Streights draw out their Front to a great Length and fill up their Ranks with Suttlers Boyes and other weak Attendants on the Camp meerly to make a Shew and amuse the Enemy with a vain appearance of Numbers when they have reason to dread the Issue of the Battel It is certain no Man before him ever counted up so many Notes as he has done Some he tells us make but Two some Three Bellarm. de Not. Eccl. c. 3. some Four some Six some Ten or Eleven as they please and one he thinks reckons up a Dozen which is the most that any ever durst venture upon till he himself came on the Stage And then he at last makes a new Discovery that they were all short in their Account for that the Notes of the Church are just Fifteen So that here must be Three at least purely his own that were never heard of before and for which they that like them must stand for ever obliged to Cardinal Bellarmin's happy Invention But then what a miserable Condition was the Church in for many Ages For if there be no Salvation out of their Church as they of the Romish Persuasion confidently affirm and if this Church is to be known by certain Notes as they endeavour to prove and if these Notes be dubious and arbitrary and often differing according to the Fancy of their several Writers as cannot be denied then what hopes can there ever be of finding out the true Church and ending the Controversy this way And if two or three Notes are sufficient to determine the Matter as some have thought to what purpose are we troubled with all the rest But if the whole Number be judged necessary to make it evident what a hazardous Estate were Men in before this great Author had perfected the List And their danger continued a long time for they were never acquainted with divers of these Notes till towards the latter end of the Sixteenth Century But the Cardinal
whole Work. p. 390. FINIS Books Printed for and Sold by Richard Chiswell Dr. CAve's Lives of the Primitive Fathers in 2 Vol. Folio Dr. Cary's Chronological Account of Ancient Time. fol. Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity fol. Sir John Burlace's History of the Irish Rebellion fol. The Laws of this Realm concerning Jesuits Seminary Priests Recusants the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance explained by divers Judgments and Resolutions of the Judges with other Observations thereupon By William CawleyEsq fol. Dr. Towerson's Explication on the Creed the Commandments and Lord's Prayer in 3 Vol. fol. Bishop Nicholson on the Church-Catechism 40. Mr. John Cave's seven occasional Sermons 40. Bishop Wilkin's Natural Religion 80. His Fifteen Sermons 80. Mr. Tanner's Primordia Or the Rise and Growth of the first Church of God described 80. Spaniards Conspiracy against the State of Venice 80. Dr. Cave's Primitive Christianity in three parts 80. Certain genuine Remains of the Lord Bacon in Arguments Civil Moral Natural c. with a large account of all his Works By Dr. Tho. Tenison 80. Dr. Henry Bagshaw's Discourses on select Texts 80. Mr. Seller's State of the Church in the three first Centuries Dr. Burnet's Account of the Life and Death of the Earl of Rochester 80. Vindication of the Ordinations of the Church of England 80. History of the Rights of Princes in the Disposing of Ecclesiastical Benefices and Church-lands 80. Relation of the present state of the difference between the French King and the Court of Rome to which is added the Pope's Brief to the Assembly of the Clergy and their Protestation published by Dr. Burnet 80. Dr. Cumber's Companion to the Altar 80. Dr. Sherlock's Practical Discourse of Religious Assemblies 80. Defence of Dr. Stillingfleet's Unreasonableness of Separation 80. A Vindication of the Defence of Dr. Stillingfleet in answer to Mr. Baxter and Mr. Lob about Catholick Communion 80. Sir Rob. Filmer's Patriarcha or natural Power of Kings 80. Bishop Wettenball's Method and Order for private Devotion 125. Valentine's Private Devotions 40. Dr. Spencer de Legibus Hebraeorum Ritualibus earum Rationibus fol. Dr. John Lightsoot's Works in English in 2 Vol. fol. Sir Tho. Brown's Vulgar Errors with all the rest of his Works fol. Patris Simonii Disquisitiones Criticae de Variis per diversa Loca Tempora Bibliorum Editionibus Accedunt Castigat Opusc Is Vossii de Sibyllinis Oraculis 40. The Case of Lay-Communion with the Church of England considered 40. Two Letters betwixt Mr. R. Smith and Dr. Hen. Hammond about Christ's Descent into Hell. 80. Dean Stratford's Disswasive from Revenge 80. Dr. Hez Burton's first Volume of Discourses of Purity and Charity of Repentance and of seeking the Kingdom of God. Published by Dean Tillotson 80. Sir Thomas More 's Vtopia newly made English by Dr. Burnet 80. Mr. Seller's Devout Communicant assisted with Rules Meditations Prayers and Anthems 12â— Dr. Towerson of the Sacraments in General Of the Sacrament of Baptism in particular 80. The History of the COVNCIL of TRENT in which besides the Ordinary Acts of the Council are declared many notable Occurrences which hapned in Christendom for 40 Years and particularly the Practices of the COVRT of ROME to hinder the Reformation of Their Errors and to maintain Their Greatness Written by Father Paul of the SERVI To which is added the Life of the Author and the History of the Inquisition Books lately Printed for Richard Chiswell Dr. Burnets History of the Reformation of the Church of England in 2 Vol. Fol. A Collection of Sixteen several Tracts and Discourses Written in the Years from 1678 to 1685. inclusive by Gilbert Burnet D. D. To which are added A Letter written to Dr. Burnet giving an Account of Cardinal Pool's Secret Powers The History of the Powder-Treason with a Vindication of the Proceedings thereupon An Impartial Consideration of the Five Jesuits dying Speeches who were Executed for the Popish Plot 1679. 40. A Dissertation concerning the Government of the Ancient Church more particularly of the Encroachments of the Bishops of Rome upon other Sees By WILLIAM CAVE D. D. Octavo An Answer to Mr. Serjeant's Sure Footing in Christianity concerning the Rule of Faith With some other Discourses By WILLIAM FALKNER D. D. 40. A Vindication of the Ordinations of the Church of England in Answer to a Paper written by one of the Church of Rome to prove the Nullity of our Orders By GILBERT BVRNET D. D. Octavo An Abridgment of the History of the Reformation of the Church of England By GILB BVRNET D. D. Octavo The APOLOGY of the Church of England and an Epistle to one Signior Scipio a Venetian Gentleman concerning the Council of Trent Written both in Latin by the Right Reverend Father in God JOHN JEWEL Lord Bishop of Salisbury Made English by a Person of Quality To which is added The Life of the said Bishop Collected and written by the same Hand Octavo The Life of WILLIAM BEDEL D. D. Bishop of Kilmore in Ireland Together with Certain Letters which passed betwixt him and James Waddefworth a late Pensioner of the Holy Inquisition of Sevil in Matters of Religion concerning the General Motives to the Roman Obedience Octavo The Decree made at ROME the Second of March 1679. condemning some Opinions of the Jesuits and other Casuists Quarto A Discourse concerning the Necessity of Reformation with respect to the Errors and Corruptions of the Church of Rome Quarto First and Second Parts A Discourse concerning the Celebration of Divine Service in an Unknown Tongue Quarto A Papist not Misrepresented by Protestants Being a Reply to the Reflections upon the Answer to A Papist Misrepresented and Represented Quarto An Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England in the several Articles proposed by the late BISHOP of CONDOM in his Exposition of the Doctrine of the Catholick Church Quarto A Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England against the Exceptions of Monsieur de Meaux late Bishop of Condom and his Vindicator 40. A CATECHISM explaining the Doctrine and Practices of the Church of Rome With an Answer thereunto By a Protestant of the Church of England 80. A Papist Represented and not Misrepresented being an Answer to the First Second Fifth and Sixth Sheets of the Second Part of the Papist Misrepresented and Represented and for a further Vindication of the CATECHISM truly representing the Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome Quarto The Lay-Christian's Obligation to read the Holy Scriptures Quarto The Plain Man's Reply to the Catholick Missionaries 240. An Answer to THREE PAPERS lately printed concerning the Authority of the Catholick Church in Matters of Faith and the Reformation of the Church of England Quarto A Vindication of the Answer to THREE PAPERS concerning the Unity and Authority of the Catholick Church and the Reformation of the Church of England Quarto Mr. Chillingworth's Book called The Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation made more generally useful by
be no Note of the true Church III. That in case it were the Protestant Church would be the true Church rather than the Church of Rome I. I shall premise these five Things as preparatory to what follows 1. That by an unhappy End Bellarmin means That which is so in outward Appearance to the Eye of Sense or according to the Judgment of the World. Such as a violent or sudden or infamous or any kind of strange or unusual Death especially such in which there is an appearance of the Divine Vengeance As to be devour'd by Dogs or eaten up of Vermin to be flea'd or burnt alive for a Man to kill himself or to be kill'd by his Servants to be smitten by a Thunderbolt c. In a word any such End as either in its Nature or in its Circumstances is not the usual or common End of Men. 2. Bellarmin meant this not barely for the Note of a Church but of that which is the only true Church For since besides the common Faith in which all Christians agree there are many points in which they differ and by which they are divided among themselves into several Parties he supposing that no more than one of these can be a true Church and therefore that that one must be the only true Church his work was to furnish us with such Notes by which this one Church might be known and distinguish'd from all the rest And therefore 3. The Instances he produces of Unhappy Deaths are for the greater part impertinent because the Persons were such as were Enemies not to this or that Christian Church as distinguished from another but to Christianity it self and endeavour'd the total extirpation of it out of the World. So did the Emperors Nero Domitian Dioclesian the Apostate Julian c. And those Hereticks Simon Magus Manichaeus c. were not more opposite to the Church of Rome than to any other Christian Church There is nothing therefore in these Instances by which one Christian Church may be distinguish'd from another nothing by which the Church of Rome may be marked out for the true Church rather than the Church of Antioch or Alexandria And as those direful Deaths of the Heathen Persecutors and Apostate Christians gave no peculiar advantage to the Church of Rome then so they make much against the Church of Rome now For if they signified as Bellarmin would have them that Church to be the true Church which was then opposed by them it plainly follows that the Church of Rome now is not a true Church and that the Church of England is because the Church of Rome now is not the same Church it was then it hath now another Faith by which it is become another Church whereas the Church of England is the same now it was at first yea the same now that the Church of Rome was then it having purged her self from those Corruptions which have been since introduced by the Church of Rome and reduced it self to the Primitive Faith. Those other Examples of Tragical Deaths which if they had been true would have been more to the purpose shall be anon considered 4. Observe that the unhappy End of those who defend it must be a Note of a false Church if the unhappy End of those who oppose it be a Note of the true The Reason is plain because those who defend it in doing so they must oppose that Church that opposes it if they therefore have an unhappy End the opposite Church will have this Note of the only true Church and by Consequence that Church they defend in opposition to it must be a false Church 5. Observe that from God's Judgments against particular Persons nothing can be concluded against that Church of which they are Members The Reason is manifest because God's Judgments upon particular Persons are usually inflicted for particular personal Crimes as in the case of Nadab and Abihu Ananias and Sapphira These things being premised I proceed to shew II. That this can be no Note of the true Church which I might prove at large by shewing that it is destitute of all those Conditions which Cardinal Perron (b) Reply to K. James l. 1. c. 5. and Bellarmin himself (c) De Not. Eccles c. 2. makes necessary to every true Note But because this Method hath been already observed in the Examination of some of the foregoing Marks I shall therefore wave the Advantages it would afford me nor do I indeed stand in need of them because the Vanity and Falsity of it will be otherwise sufficiently manifest both by Scripture Experience and Reason First By Scripture And 1. By all those Scriptures which declare that all things come alike to all Men That in the common course of Providence there is no difference put between the Righteous and the Wicked between him that sacrificeth and him that sacrificeth not (d) Eccles 9.1 2 3. and by a plain Parity of Reason he that persecutes the true Religion and he that defends it he that worships God aright and he that worships him amiss or not at all as to outward Events hath frequently the same Lot As King Josiah the Restorer and Maintainer of the true Religion and who served the Lord with all his Heart died the same unnatural Death that Ahab did who served Baal and provoked the Lord to Anger more than all the Kings of Israel that were before him Nor was this promiscuous Dispensation of Events taken notice of only by wise Solomon but we find it long before affirmed by Job that God destroys both the Perfect and the Wicked (e) Job 9.22 Righteous Abel the first Man that ever died was a Proof of it he whose Sacrifice was by God accepted fell himself a Sacrifice to his wicked Brother's Envy Nor was it thus only before the Law and under the Law but it continues so still now under the Gospel The Tares and the Wheat though sown by different Hands the one by the Son of Man the other by the Devil yet as they grow up together in the same Field so they are gathered and cut down by the same Reapers by the same Sickle and are not sever'd the one for the Fire and the other for the Barn till the End of the World. Yea in plain Contradiction to this Note the Scripture tells us That there are just Men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the Wicked and there are wicked Men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the Righteous (f) Eccl. 8.14 And that not only in the Course of their Lives but when they die too For there is a just Man that perisheth in his Righteousness and there is a wicked Man that prolongeth his Days in his Wickedness (g) Eccl. 7.15 The good Man is sometimes cut off by an early Death because he is better than others and the Wicked whose Sins cry aloud for Vengeance prolongs his Days in his Wickedness and after a long and