people in Constantinople See the Chronicle of Matth. Palmer Anno DCC XLI TO OMIT MANY OTHERS AND TO ASCEND TO THE MONSTERS of our age LVTHER died sodainly for hauing supped very delicately and pleasantly being in perfect health and hauing delighted all his company with merry conceits the same night he died Coclaeus in vita Lutheri ZVINGLIVS was slaine in war which he made against Catholikes and a little after his brother Oecolampadius going to bed in good health one night was found dead by his wife in the morning Coclaeus in act Luth. an 1531. ANDREAS CAROLOSTADIVS the Ministers of Basil write to haue been killed of a Diuell in their Epistle of the death of Carolostadius IOANNES CALVINVS was eaten and consumed of wormes and died as did Antiochus Hunery Maximinus c. as witnesseth Hieronymus Bolsecus in his life who also addeth that the Arch-heretique died blaspheming cursing and inuocating Diuels This Heretique that besides his other heresies denied prayer to Saints at his death prayeth vnto Diuels To all these former examples we might adde infinit more of notorious persecutors and enemies of Gods Church which all came to miserable ends and so shall all others come to confusion which hate Sion which oppose themselues against Gods Church and Kingdome which our Sauiour hath built vpon a firme Rocke and therefore no stormes windes or tempests can ouerthrow it Matth. 16. 18. Portâ— inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam The gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it as hath promised our Sauiour Whatsoeuer the diuell can doe by Tyrants Heretickes or any other aduersaries against this Church it standeth immoueable Deus fundauit eam in aeternum God hath founded it for euer Psal 47. Saint Augustine expoundeth this of the Church of God This Church is Gods Kingdome whereof it is said Luk. 1. Regni eius non erit finis and of his Kingdome shall be no end Of this Kingdome it is said Dan. 2. Iu diebus autem regnorum eorum suscitabit Deus coeli regnum quod in aeternum non dissipabitur regnum eius alteri populo non tradetur comminuet consumâ—t vniuersa regna haec ipsum stabit in aeternum This Kingdome then of God his Catholike Church shall stand and continue for euer No tyrannie nor persecution can destroy this Church no it cannot diminish but rather encrease it as euidently hath beene seene in all ages And this is that Saint Leo writeth Ser. 1. de Petro Paulo in these words Non minuitur persecutionibus Ecclesia sed augetur semper dominicus ager segete ditiori vestitur dum grana quae singula cadunt multiplicata naseuntur The Church is not diminished by persecution but increased and alwaies our Lords field is clothed with richer graine whilest the graine which one by one doe fall into the ground doe spring vp multiplied And although God almighty sometime leaueth some particular country and people for heresie and sinne yet he will still haue his Church he wil raise others and call other countries as we may see after the fall of the Church in Africk and some parts of the East many other goodly Kingdomes and Prouinces were presently conuerted to the faith of Christ heere in the West-Church as in Ecclesiasticall histories may cleerely be seene And now since the fall of our Countrey and some other places neere vnto vs from the Catholike faith wee know that innumerable people in Africk in the East and West Indies are conuerted to this same Catholike Church and true faith of Christ whereby wee see verified that dreadfull threate of our Sauiour Christ Auferetur a vobis regnum Dei dabitur genti facienti fructus eius This Kingdome that is the preaching of the Gospell is taken from vs because we brought not forth the fruits of it and squared not our liues according to the rules thereof Therefore God hath take from vs our true Teachers and lawfull Pastors hauing lawfull mission and vocation without which none euer preached or taught Catholike truth but were brochers of seditious doctrine and pernicious heresie as we now see by lamentable experience in these parts of Christendom This considered I hope all good Catholikes and seruants of Christ which are in the lap of the Catholike Church will be of good comfort cleaue vnto this Rocke the piller and foundation of truth as the Apostle calleth it In so doing they shall neuer be drowned in the waues of Heresie and Infidelitie If some Catholikes either out of feare of imprisonment or losse of their temporalties fall from this Church God almightie will call others yea euen Puritanes and other seduced soules These will he call to the knowledge of his truth these will he gather into his Church and these once seeing what a singular benediction what a soueraigne benefit it is to bee within the house of God which is his Church will for euer laude and praise his holy name therefore Those will say with the royall Prophet Psal 83. Melior est dies vna in atrijs tuis super millia Better is one day in thy Courts aboue a thousand and beati qui habitant in dome tua Domine in saecula saeculorum laudabunt te blessed are they which dwell in thy house O Lord for euer and euer they will praise thee and Elegi abiectus esse c. I had rather be an abiect in the house of our Lord then to dwell in the Tabernacles of sinners And therefore vnderstanding the greatnesse of this benefit they will pray with the same holy Prophet Psal 23. Vnam petij a domino hanc requiram vt in habitem in domo domini omnibus diebus vitae meae One thing haue I besought of our Lord and this will I aske againe that I may dwell in the house of our Lord all the dayes of my life Out of this house that is the Catholike Church there is no meanes of saluation neither by preaching nor by Sacraments out of this Church no remission of sinnes out of this Church no good worke can be meritorious of euerlasting life Whosoeuer falleth out of this Church as he cannot merite by any good worke of prayer fasting or almes because he is not in state of grace so he loseth the merite of all his former good workes though neuer so many What losse can euer be comparable to this Whosoeuer falleth out of this Church Ioseth the communion of Saints setteth himselfe out of Gods grace sauour and protection out of the patrociny of Angels and Saints such cannot be Gods children but his enemies such can receiue no influence of Gods grace no sanctification no justification no comfort of the holy Ghost such can haue no peace or quiet of conscience such as be out of Gods Church cannot presume God will heare their prayers according to that Psal 65. Iniquitatem si aspexi in corde meo non exaudiet deus Such as are not capable of any Sacrament and consequently not of saluation such as
of Monkes and religious persons was killed with lightning and fire from heauen MAVRITIVS the Emperour who persecuted S. Gregory the Great was slaine of a common souldier his wife and all his children before put to death in his owne sight and so cried Iustus es Domine rectum iudicium tuum Thou art just O Lord and righteous is thy judgement Blondus lib. 3. Decad. 1. CONSTANS the Nephew of Heraclius banished Pope Martine for which he was hated of all his subiects saith Zonoras and so leauing Constantinople liued in Cicely and there was killed in the Bathe of his owne people about him Paul Diac. lib. 18. MICHAEL Emperour the sonne of Theophilus which behaued himselfe proudly against Pope Nicholas the first and most iniuriously deposed Ignatius the Patriarch of Constantinople when he went drunke to bed one night standing at his bed side was slaine of his owne domesticals Zonor Annal. tom 3. in Constante Michaele CONSTANTINVS PROGNATVS the son of Leo Isauricus a most cruell persecutor of the Catholike Clergie was stricken with fire from heauen and so died blaspheming Sigeb ad Ann. 778. These wonderfull and notable judgements of God Almightie happened to the greatest Princes in the East which persecuted Christ Iesus in his Vicars c. And there haue beene no lesse renowned in the West PERSECVTORS IN THE WEST CHVRCH HENRY the fourth the first of the Westerne Emperours which opposed himselfe against the Church after many iniuries offered thereunto being excommunicate by Gregory the 7. was depriued of his Empire by his owne sonne and at last forsaken of all died in great calamitie in exile out of the limits of the Empire Nauclerus vol. 3. gener 37. FREDERICVS BARBAROSSA which for many years persecuted the Church of God very rebellious and proud against the See Apostolike when he was bathing himselfe in a riuer for his pleasure in Cilicia was drowned of a sodaine and so ended Naucl. gen 40. OTHO the fourth after exceeding great iniuries done to the Church throughout all Italy being assaulted in warre and put to flight by Philip the French King in low Germany a little after died a priuate man in Saxony Staplet in prompt mor. in dom pass text 4. FREDERICVS the second a most cruell persecutor not onely of the See Apostolique but of all the Clergie throughout the whole Empire excommunicated by Innocent the fourth was slaine of his bastard sonne Manfrede in Apulia as some write poysoned as others report hanged and all his race following the steps of their wicked father came to the like miserable end His eldest sonne Conradus for like cause excommunicated by Innocent the forth was killed by the same Manfrede in Apulia And the same Manfrede entring vpon the Kingdomes of Apulia and Sicilia being himselfe a cruell enemie of the Church excommunicated by Alexander the fourth was vanquished and put to flight by Charles brother to the King of France whom Vrbane the fourth declared King of Sicilia and Apulia CONRADINVS sonne to the said Conrade vanquished by the said Charles was put to death And Eutius the other son of Frederick the second after many warres made against the Church being taken of the Bononians was committed to perpetuall imprisonment and so all the race and stock of the sacrilegious Emperour great in number and power in short time extinct left to posteritie an example of their wicked rebellions against God and his Church LEWES the fourth Emperour twice excommunicate by the See Apostolike in whose defence against the immunities and priuiledges of the Church of Rome those Poets and Rhetoritians for this cause infamous Petrarcha Dante 's Marsilius and Io. Occhamus Schoole-man write so many things God almightie judgeing this cause when he was a hunting taken sodainly with a palsey of all his members falling from his horse died sodainly Memorable it is which Nicephorus writeth of Narcissus Bishop of Hierusalem Three maleuolous persons falsely accused this holy Bishop wishing euill to themselues if they dealt falsely The first that he would be burnt The second that he should die of the falling euill or some other detestable disease The third wished his eyes out of his head But Gods diuine reuenge not sleeping the first with al his house kinsfolkes and substance was burnt by one sparke that fell from a candle The second was taken with a most grieuous disease which entred vpon his whole body The third forthwith confesseth the deceitfull dealing and fraudulent proceeding ceased not to weepe and shed teares vntill he perceiued with his teares to lose the strength and sight of his eyes These torments of few may be examples for all THE VNHAPPY ENDS OF ARCH-HERETICKES ALthough God almighty punisheth and scourgeth his seruants and children yet alwayes at last he casteth the rod into the fire Deut. 32. Laudate Gentes populum eius quia sanguinem seruorum suorum vlciscetur vindictam retribuet in hostes eorum You Gentiles praise his people because he will reuenge the bloud of his seruants and will repay vengeance vpon their enemies This thing is manifest by that which is aboue-written And it may further appeare by the vnhappy and miserable ends of Apostataes and Arch-heretiques As first of SIMON MAGVS when he began to flie he was throwne downe by the prayers of Saint Peter brake his legges and a little after died with great ignominy Hegesip lib. 3. cap. 2. de excid Hierosol Arnob. lib. 2. contra Gentes MANICHAEVS was flayed aliue by the King of Persians not for his Heresie or his faith and religion but for that taking in hand to cure the Kings sonne he killed him Epiphan haeres 66. MONTANVS THEODORVS and their prophetesses hanged themselues Euseb lib. 5. hist cap. 16. Certaine Donatistes when they did cast the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist to the dogs were of the same dogs torne in peeces Optat. lib. 2. contra Parmenianum ARIVS when hee was going to the Church with great pompe was sodainly troubled with ache in his belly and so forced to diuert a priuy or house of office and there together with his excrements auoided both his entrailes and his life Witnesse S. Athanasius Orat. 1. contra Arianos Ruffin lib. 10. histor cap. 13. IVLIAN the Apostata was slaine from heauen miraculously he was neuer buried but as saith S. Gregory Nazianzen in his Oration made in praise of S. Athanasius neere the end the earth of it selfe opened and swallowed him vp VALFNS the Arian which succeeded Iulian in persecuting Catholikes was burned aliue by the Gothes which also were Arians Ruffin lib. 2. hist cap. 13. NESTORIVS perished most miserably his tongue being eaten and consumed with wormes Euag. lib. 1. hist c. 7. ANASTATIVS the Emperour a fauourer of the Eâ—tichian Heretikes was killed with lightning as write Cedronus and Paul the Deacon in his life LEO ICONOMACHVS that is Image-breaker burned sacred Images in the open market place of Constantinople Presently after which fact the pestilence consumed three hundred thousand
Baron anno imper Const 11. MAXENTIVS a most cruell Tyrant was drowned in Tiber. Euseb Zozimus and others IVLIAN the Apostata vsed all policie and arte he could as formerly had done Diocletian and Maximian to extinguish Christianitie but all in vaine Hee was slaine in the field against the Persians vncertainly by whom S. Gregor Nazian orat 2. in Iulian. ministeri◠angelorum occisum affirmat See Baron When hee died hee filled his hand with bloud and cast it vp into the ayre saying vicisti Galilee thou hast vanquished me O Galilean for so he called Christ Iesus Nicephor 10. cap. 3. and also he said saturare Nazarene c. VALENS a most horrible persecutor making warre against the Gothes was burned See Baron and others Hee with his noble men fled into a poore cottage which was burnt ouer his head c. MAXIMINVS a most bloudie persecutor was ouerthrowne and put to flight by Licinius and at last stricken with a most deadly and horrible disease his eyes falling out of his head he dieth miserably confessing himselfe worthily punished for his crueltie exercised vpon Christians Also his children were put to a most reprochfull death his statuaes titles and other monuments were throwne downe razed abolished Constantini imper anno 9. HVNERICVS King of the Vandals persecuted Catholikes most cruelly he caused Catholikes tongues and right hands to be cut off who neuerthelesse by the helpe of God did speake as well afterwards as they did before One of these to wit Reparatus a Subdeacon pronounced eloquent Sermons without any difficultie for which hee was highly reuerenced in Zeno the Emperours Pallace especially Iustina the Empresse honored him See the Comp. of Baron anno 484. fol. 425. There followeth fol. 426 the miserable death of this barbarous and cruell persecutor who when he prepared to triumph ouer the Catholike faith which he verily thought to haue rooted out perished most miserably of wormes which crawled out of euery part of his bodie the seuenth yeare of his raigne Victor lib. 3. EVARICVS King of the Gothes spoileth France of Bishops c. vpon desire to propagate Arianisme hee was a horrible persecutor and enemie of Catholikes like to Hunericus as reporteth Ecclesiasticall writers being stricked from heauen perished most miserably as writeth Turon in the History of France LEO ISAVRICVS a most bloudy persecutor was taken by an Earthquake out of this life as writeth Theophanes CONSTANTINVS CAPRONYMVS no lesse cruell against Catholikes was from heauen stricken with a plague and griefe in his thighes which in Greeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so died miserably crying out and saying being yet aliue I am giuen ouer to vnquenchable fire Theophanes and all other Greeke Authors witnesseth the same See Cedren in Baron anno 775. LEO ARMENVS a great enemie of the Catholike Church was miserably slaine neare the Altar after hee had raigned seuen yeares and fiue moneths And so perish all which hate Sion FOVRE MEMORABLE EXAMPLES FOLLOWING L. SEPTIMIVS PLAVTIANVS from base state was aduanced to such honor as he was esteemed little inferiour to the Emperour Seuerus himselfe This PLAVTIANVS thus exalted in such grace with the Emperour as the like hath scarcely euer beene seene was honored with very many statuaes chosen to be father in law to Antoninus Augustus the sonne of the Emperour He married his daughter to Antoninus with whom he gaue so much riches and such a dowrie as had beene sufficient to haue giuen with fiftie should hee haue had so many to haue so highly preferred Hee was so horrible and cruell as when hee was to goe any whither some Sergeants or Virgiers were to take order that none should be in his way or presume to looke vpon him Of Christians he was a most deadly enemie and cruell persecutor with the spoiles of whom after he had murthered and martyred them he had infinitely enriched himselfe But loe this cruell murtherer of Christians fell from this soueraigne dignitie into extreame infelicity in so much as he was euen in the twelfth yeare of Seuerus Empire become a wonderfull great laughing-stocke of humane felicitie and a most dreadfull example of Gods seuere justice he was I say put to a most miserable death by his sonne in law Antoninus his body cast into the street vnburied his statuaes and monuments pulled downe and defaced his name scraped out and abolished His sonne and daughter were exiled and at last in great misery made away So as that of the Psalmist may be verified of him and such like Inimici domini mox vt honorificati fuerint exaltati deficientes quemadmedum fumus deficient Psal 36. The enemies of our Lord forthwith after they be raised to honor and exalted vanishing away like smoake they shall vanish See Baron especially the twelfth yeare of Seuerus Empire where you shall finde all these and much more of this horrible persecutor EVTROPIVS a man of seruile condition and lewde conuersation was so highly exalted vnder the Emperour Arcadius as he was of all other the greatest Courtier in greatest grace and fauour with the Emperour Hee was made Consul although generally hated of all people He opposeth against Saint Iohn Chrysostome Bishop of Costantinople and impugneth Ecclesiasticall immunities and liberties of the Church Against which immunities and priuiledges of the Church in particular that none flying to the Altar should haue benefit of Sanctuary But behold the punishment of this Tyrant It pleased God that Gaynas being alienated from Arcadius for his so much fauouring and aduancing this EVTROPIVS as all in furie and rage he made warre against the Emperour and brought him to this that the Emperour was glad to admit what conditions of peace Gaynas would offer Amongst which conditions this was one that the Emperour should deliuer into his hands EVTROPIVS that he might put him to what death it liked him Whereupon EVTROPIVS was depriued of all his places dignities and riches which were exceeding great and so perceiuing his misery fled to the Church layeth hold vpon Sanctuarie and was for that time protected by Saint Chrysostome who stood in the defence of the priuiledges of the Church and would not permit the souldiers to take him from the Altar before he had caused the Emperour to sweare neither to deliuer him into the hands of Gaynas nor to put him to death And although he had beene a great enemy of Saint Chrysostome and all the people cried to haue him made away Yet Saint Chrysostome in regard of the priuiledge would not condescend but with an eloquent oration disswadeth the people and laboureth to saue him So as it is to be noted he that opposed himselfe against this holy Bishop and priuiledges of the Church had no other refuge then to the same Finally being depriued of so many dignities honors and riches his name abolished his statuaes ensignes and monuments in all both publike and priuate places defaced he was banished into Cyprus from whence at the instance of Gaynes he was sent for and
beheaded All this heere compendiously touched is set downe in Baronius at large together with the Authors Ecclesiasticall which write the same This fellow was exalted and eleuated as a Ceder of Libanus but forthwith his place was not to be found Psal 36. CHRISAPHIVS a most potent Courtier vnder Theodosius the Emperour patronizeth Eutyches the damnable Heretike persecuteth and deposeth Flauianus the holy Patriarke turneth all vpside downe perswadeth Theodosius to fauour the Heretike and to destroy the Catholike Bishop But God almightie justly punished him For Theodosius finding out his treachery repented hee had permitted him to protect this monster whereby such a pestilent sect long after troubled the Church and therefore he presently depriueth this potent Courtier of all his places and substance and at last putteth him to death Marcel l. 14. c. 49. Niceph. Cedren 〈◊〉 Baron BARDAS who ruled all vnder Michael the third grieuously persecuted the Church deposed Ignatius the Patriarke of Constantinople a holy man and contrary to the Canons of the Church intruded Photius It is wonderfull to consider how hotly euery one of these as wel the Emperour who was a most beastly monster persecuted Gods Saints and all holies as also the vsurper Photius and the tyrant Bardas what a horrible Schisme they made See all in Baron and other Authors cited by him at large for it is most memorable These monsters most grieuously afflicted the Church for some few yeares but God almightie after long patience powred forth his indignation against the factious and schismaticall Princes Michael the third which gaue himselfe to nothing but his filthy pleasures as also Bardas who swayed all And first for Bardas Curopalutes describeth his miserable death also Cedren Glicas and Nicetas doe the same almost in this manner Bardas had a vision which was viz. He saw Saint Peter the Prince of the Apostles and two terrible men assisting and Saint Peter being set he saw Ignatius the Patriarke whom he had expelled out of his See lying at Saint Peters feete crying O Porter of the Kingdome of heauen and the Rocke vpon which Christ hath built his Church for as much as thou knowest how I haue beene iniured comfort my old yeares which haue suffered many euils And Saint Peter saith to Ignatius shew thy enemy which hath done thee so much wrong Et Deus faciat vna cum tentatione prouentum and God will make together with temptation issue And Ignatius turning to me pointed me out with his right hand This Bardas is he who all aboue others hath offended and iniured me neither yet ceaseth more and more to afflict me Then Saint Peter said to him that assisted on the right hand take away this execrable and cursed Bardas out of the Church and presently cut him in peeces and therefore I was led to death All this Bardas saw in a vision and moreouer hee saw him shake his head against the Emperour saying Impie sili expecta parumper This terrible vision Bardas himselfe all affrighted and with teares reported to Philotheus his faithfull friend Who notwithstanding all this ceased not more grieuously to afflict the holy Patriarke Ignatius for three moneths after at the end of which time followed the execution of this vision When as Bardas with the Emperour and his armie went into Crete where being suspected of treason the Emperour commanded him to be hacked in peeces Now for the Emperour himselfe he tooke one Basilius a Macedonian to be his consort This Basilius created Emperour studying to reclaime Michael from his wicked and detestable manners and conuersation procured Michael to hate him in so much as he perceiued the Emperour Michael sought to destroy and make him away as hee had done Bardas and therefore rather desiring to kill then to be killed contriueth presently the death of the beastly monster which act though it was not lawfull yet was the persecutor justly punished for his crueltie against Gods Church Zonoras Nicetas and others This Basil sendeth Embassadors to the Pope restoreth peace to the Church expulseth Photius the vsurper from the Patriarchall See and restoreth the true Bishop Ignatius into the same to the great joy and exultation of all people Many more like examples might be added to these but these are most notorious As God almightie hath a speciall prouidence ouer his Church in the law of grace as it shall neuer be destroyed by any impugnation of what enemies soeuer but shall still remaine glorious though neuer so much persecuted by tyrants which tyrants and enemies of Gods Church often perish miserably euen in this world besides the eternall miseries they fall into after this life if they die impenitent So is it to be noted that the same God almightie had also a wonderfull care ouer his Kingdome and people euen in the old Testament and such as persecuted them we may see by many examples to what miserable confusion they fell at last PHARAO with all his hoast was drowned in the red sea AMAN which had contriued the meanes to put to death and massacre all Gods chosen people vnder Assuerus was hanged vpon a gibbet fifty cubits high which he had prepared for Mardocheus Hest 7. IESABEL which slew Gods Prophets was throwne downe out of a window killed with the fall and eaten of dogs 4. King 9. ANTIOCHVS most grieuously and extreamely persecuted and afflicted Gods people as we reade in the 2. of the Machabees but as it is in the ninth chapter of the said book God which seeth all strake him with an incurable and inuisible plague Hee threatned to destroy Ierusalem and all the people and God almightie presently vpon it laid his heauy hand vpon him Reade the ninth chapter of the second book and you shall see the miserable end of this most proud and cruel enemie of God and his Kingdom He could not go but was carried his dolours and anguish was intolerable and that by the just judgement of God for he had most vnmercifully tortured and afflicted Gods people wormes crawled out of his body and the horrible stincke thereof annoyed his whole armie who a little before was so proud and insolent as he thought he could reach the starres of heauen him no man can now carry or come neere for intolerable stincke This cruel homicide and blasphemous wretch miserably ended his life in his peregrination See more in the Machabees In the fourth booke of Kings and the nineteenth chapter you may see recorded the miserable dostruction of Sennacherib and his whole armie which had besieged Hierusalem blasphemed God and threatned to destroy the Citie the holy King Ezechias and all his people But God almightie who knoweth how to deliuer his faithfull people sent his Angell into the tents of the Assirians which slew a hundreth and eightie fiue thousand of them in their tents after which Sennacherib returned into his owne countrie where he was slaine of Adramelach and Sarasar his owne sonnes Reade the seuen and thirtieth chapter of Isal It is also
non tenet vnitatem neque baptismus neque eleemosyna quantumlibet copiâ—sa neque mors pro Christi nomine suscepta proficere potest ad salutem quamdiu in eo haeretica vel schismatica prauitas perseuerat quae ducit ad mortem Hould most firmely and no waies doubt that euery Heretick and Schismaticke baptised in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost if he be not joyned to Gods Church how great almes soeuer hee giue and although he shed his bloud for Christs sake can no wayes bee saued for euery man that holdeth not the vnitie of the Church neither baptisme nor almes although neuer so great neither death suffered for Christs cause can profit vnto saluation as long as hereticall lewdnesse perseuereth in him which leadeth vnto death Finally for such as are within the lappe of the Catholike Church I beseech them to square their liues according to the precepts and rules of Catholike religion which induce to holines and perfection of life and I say vnto them with the Apostle Abijciamus opera tenebrarum induamur arma lucis sicut in die honeste ambulemus non in commâ—ssationibus ebriâ—tatibus non in cubilibus impudicitijs non in contentione aemulatione sed induimini Iesum Christum Let vs cast away the workes of darknes and put on the armour of light let vs walke honestly as in the day time not in banquetting and drunkennesse not in champering and immundicities not in contention and emulation but doe you on our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 13. It is not enough to be in the Catholike Church vnlesse we liue according to the rules of our Catholike religion If we giue our selues to sensuality and voluptuousnesse if we sticke not to commit grieuous and enormious sinnes yea if we endeuour not to liue vertuously godly and vprightly wee cannot hope to be saued for as saith Saint Augustine most excellently Firmissime tene nullatenus dubites non omnes qui intra Ecclesiam Catholicam baptizantur accepturos esse vitam aeternam sed eos qui percepto baptismate recte viuunt id est qui abstiâ—uerunt se à vitijs concupiscentijs carnis Regnum enim coelorum sicut Infideles Haereticâ— atque Schismatici non habebunt sic Catholici criminosi possidere non poterunt Hould it most firely and doubt not any waies that not all which are baptised within the Catholike Church shall receiue life euerlasting but they which being baptised liue well that is which haue abstained from vices and desires of the flesh For the Kingdome of heauen as faithlesse Heretikes and Schismatikes shall not haue so sinfull Catholikes cannot possesse God almighty vouchsafe to grant that we which be Catholikes may so order and dispose our liues as may be to the glory of God edification of others and saluation of our owne soules PRAYERS FOR CONVERSION OF HERETIKES AND SCHISMATIKES OMnipotens aeterne Deus erue quaesimus Haereticos atque Schismaticos ab erronibus vniuersis ad sanctam Matrem Ecclesiam Catholicam atque Apostolicam reuocare digneris Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum qui tecum viuit regnat in saecula saeculorum Amen Alia oratio OMnipotens aeterne Deus qui saluas omnes neminem vis periro respice ad animas diabolica fraude deceptas vt omni haeretica prauitate deposita errantium corda recipiscant ad veritatis tuae redeant vnitatem Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum c. Alia oratio DEus qui errata corrigis dispersa congregas congregata conseruas quaesumus super populum Christianum tuae vnionis gratiam clementer infunde vt diuisione rejecta vero Pastori Ecclesiae tuae se vniens tibi digne valeat famulari Per Dominum nostrum c. OF THE TEMPORALL PROSPERITIE AND FELICITIE OF THEM WHICH haue defended the Church WE haue seene to what miserable destruction diuers notorious enemies of God and his Church haue fallen I could haue added hereunto most memorable examples of meaner but yet honorable and worshipfull Families as also of diuers Countries Kingdomes and Peoples which either in respect of their reuolt from the Catholike Church or their opposition against the same haue come to vtter ruine and desolation And is not this that the Prophet Isay or rather God almightie by the Prophet threatneth Isai 60. 12. Gens Regnum quod non seruierit tibi peribit The Nation Kingdom which will not serue thee shall perish that is such Kingdomes and People as will not subject themselues to the yoke of Christ and obedience of his Church shall perish Were not the most flourishing parts of the world for their fall to Arianisme Donatisme Nestorianisme and other condemned heresies for a just punishment of God ouer-runne and brought to desolation by the Sarazens and by infinite barbarous and sauage people Gothes Vandals Hunnes Alanes and others All Histories are full of these matters expressely setting downe the cause of the ouerthrow of so many goodly countries in Asia but especially Africa and in Europe as Italy Spaine France Germany England with other more Were not these goodly parts of the world neere about vs together with al Africa ouerrun and destroyed by the Goths Vandals and other barbarous people for Schisme and Haeresie Were not the Britons in this Iland after they were infect with the Heresie of Pelagius thrust out of their seates most of them destroyed and the remnant driuen into the barrennest parts of the Iland by the Saxons And I should neuer make an end if I should proceed to bring so many instances in this point as are recorded in all sorts of Chronicles and writings extant in the world But now let vs relate some few examples of so many of the temporall prosperitie and happy successe of such Princes as adhered to the Church honored and defended it First those noble victories are well knowne which are recorded in the old Testament as the victories of Abraham Moses Iosua Gedeon Samuel Dauid Ezechias Iosias and the Machabees In the new Testament that is in the Law of Grace Constantine the Great which first of all the Emperours publikely defended the Church almost in like sort vanquished Maxentius as Moses did Pharao for Maxentius was drowned in Tyber as Pharao in the Red-sea Euseb lib. 9. hist cap. 9. Of him speaketh Saint Augustine lib. 5. de Ciuitate Dei cap. 25. Constantine the Emperour not suppliant to Diuels but worshipping the true God receiued so many gifts and blessings from God as none durst presume to wish this one Augustus held possessed and defended the whole Romane Empire In administring and making warre hee was most victorious in vanquishing and repressing Tyrants wonderfull prosperous being of great yeares hee died of sicknesse and old age and left sonnes three Emperours to succeed him Of THEODOSIVS the elder in the same place writeth the same S. August cap. 26. that he had wonderfull successe in all