Papistrie since that the Brittans receiued it as is before said from the Apostles or Disciples and they from our Lord and perseuered in it with Saint Gregory and Saint Augustine and the rest of the Christian world without any alteration or change sauing some mysteries vsed in Baptisme and the keeping of Easter vpon a wrong Sunday In all things else they were so agreeable to the Faith and Religion which Saint Augustine held and taught that these two things reformed he desired their helpe and assistance in the conuersion of the Pagan English Nation by preaching vnto them the Word of God which hee neither could nor would haue done had they not both these two things excepted agreed in one in al points of Faith and Religion neither did S. Austen labour to teach or reforme the Brittaines in any thing else and seeing in these two things which to Protestants seeme of little moment Saint Augustine made so great difficultie that hee would not receiue them into the Communion of the Catholike Roman Church vntill they condescended to reforme them far greater difficultie would he haue made in receiuing them if they had held any point of Protestantisme and had denied the Masse prayer for the dead worship of Images and esteemed him an Antichristian man or Idolater c. Neither would he though they should haue offered themselues haue admitted them to preach and contradict and defame him amongst the English Pagans or Gentiles vnto whom hee was sent as an Apostle much lesse would he haue required their ayde and assistance in preaching vnto them if they had accused him as Protestants do now of Idolatry Antichristian doctrine and to haue been sonne of the Whore of Babylon c. That the Catholike Roman Faith which Saint Augustine planted amongst the English Saxons is at this day and in all ages and times since the said planting hath been confessed by some knowne English inhabitants in this Iland all our Writers Chronicles Histories and Monuments Lawes in ancient time made in fauour of it Statutes of late yeeres made to suppresse it the death of many for it and the prisons full of such as at this instant doe professe it giue ample testimony and if any require further proofe I referre him to a booke intituled The prudentiall Ballance of Religion which treateth hereof at large Whereupon I conclude that our Sauiour was Author of the Catholike Roman Faith and that the keeping of Easter vpon a wrong Sunday and some mysteries vsed in Baptisme excepted it hath in al ages and times since the plantation thereof by the Apostles or Disciples continued in this Iland and that no man can or may preach or teach any doctrine for Christian doctrine but the Catholike Roman Faith vnder paine of Anathema c. according to the words of Saint Paul saying Although we or an Angell from Galath 1. 8. heauen Euangelize to you besides that we haue Euangelized to you be he Anathema as wee haue said before so now we say againe If any Euangelize to you besides that which you haue receiued be he Anathema that is seperated from God according to the words of our Sauiour saying Depart from mee yee accursed into euerlasting Matth. 24 41. fire which was prepared for the Diuell and his angels So I appeale to your Maiestie well pleased to consider the wrong and iniustice your Protestant Ministers doe vnto vs Catholikes your ancient subiects in persecuting vs for professing that Faith and Religion which was planted vpon earth by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and euen from the Apostles times vntill this day hath continued in this Iland and humbly beseech your Highnesse that you would not thinke vs disloyal or vnfaithfull to your Person or State for that we will not become Anathemaes from God For the difference which was betweene the ancient Brittans and Saint AVGVSTINE about the time of the keeping of Easter it is manifest by Saint Beda lib. 3. cap. 4. that the Brittans fell into this error for want of skill in Astronomie For they knew saith Saint BEDA as Christen men doe that the resurrection of our Lord ought alwayes to be celebrated on Sunday But as Wilfred in S. Beda l. 3. ca. 25. ignorant men in Astrologie they had not learned when that Sunday should come That the Brittans fell into this error after Constantine his time is manifest by Eusebius who lib. 3. de vita Constantini cap. 8. affirmeth that the same keeping of Easter was obserued in the Citie of Rome in Italy Africke Aegypt Spaine France Britanie Lybia and all Greece in the Diocesse of Asia and Pontus and finally in Cicilia with one vniforme consent CHAP. III. Wherein is briefely proued by the generall consent of all knowne Christian people who liued in all ages and times betweene the death of the Apostles and rising of Luther that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was Author of the Catholike Roman Faith which Protestants call Papistrie knowne Heretikes on both parties only excepted FIRST Protestants themselues confesse That the true Church so they call their Church decayed presently after the Apostles times So Fulke in his answere to a Counterfeit Catholike page 35. Sebastianus Franciscus in his Epistle de abrogandis statutis ecclesiasticis affirmeth That for these fourteene hundred yeares the Church of Protestants hath been no where externall and visible Peter Martyr de Votis page 477. saith That errours so they call our Catholike Faith did begin immediatly after the Apostles times And page 476. he saith That presently after their age men began to decline from the word of God so they esteeme their Protestantisme The Protestant Author of the booke intituled Antichristus siue Pronostica finis mundi page 13. affirmeth That from the Apostles times till Luther the Gospell of Protestants had neuer open passage Melancthon in 1. Cor. cap. 3. affirmeth Thet presently from the beginning of the Church the ancient Fathers obscured the doctrine concerning the iustification of Faith encreased Ceremonies and deuised peculiar Worships Whereupon Peter Martyr de Votis page 476. saith As long as wee shall insist vpon Councels and Fathers we shall be alwayes in the same errors And Whitaker in his Controu 2. quest 5. page 299. de Ecclesia saith BELLARMINE doth bring foorth certaine testimonies out of Caluin and the Centurie Writers who haue noted certaine errors of the ancient Fathers which they hold common with Papists that is to say of Free-will of Merit of the Limbe of Inuocation of Saints of the Vnmaried life of Bishops of Iustification c. I answere that it is true which Caluin and the Centuries haue written that in many things the ancient Church hath erred as of the Limbe of Free-will of the Merit of Workes and in other things which are aboue rehearsed WHITGIFT in his Defence to the Answere to the Admonition page 473. saith How greatly were almost all the Bishops and learned Writers of the Greeke Church and Latine also for the most
part spotted with doctrine of Free-will of Merits of Inuocation of Saints and such like And page 473. he saith Surely you are not able to reckon in any age since the Apostles times any company of Bishops that taught and held so sound doctrine in all points as the Bishops of England doe at this day Whereupon Luther in his booke De seruo arbitrio tom 2. Wittenb 1551. affirmeth the Fathers to haue been blinde and most ignorant in the Scriptures to haue erred al the time of their liues from his doctrine and that vnlesse they were amended before their deathes they were neither Saints nor pertaining to the Church of Protestants And in his Colloquijs mensalibus he saith In the Writings of Hierome there is not a word of true faith in Christ and sound religion Tertullian is very superstitious I hold Origen long since accursed Of Chrysostome I make no account Basil is of no worth he is wholly a Monke Cyprian is a weake Diuine The Apologie of Philip Melancthon doth farre excell all the Doctors of the Church and exceede euen Augustine himselfe POMERAN a Protestant vpon Ionam saith Our Fathers whether holy or not holy I esteeme nothing they haue been blinded with the Spirit of Montanus by humane traditions and doctrine of diuels c. They doe not teach purely of Iustification Beza in his Preface vpon the New Testament Dedicated to the Prince of Condy printed 1587. affirmeth That euen in the best times the ambition ignorance and lewdnesse of Bishops was such that the very blinde may easily perceiue how Satan was President in their assemblies or Councels because they taught opposite doctrine to the doctrine of the Protestants of this age Whereupon Perkins in his Exposition of the Creede page 400. in behalfe of himselfe and all Protestants saith Wee say that before the dayes of Luther for the space of many hundred yeares an vniuersall Apostasie from Protestantisme as hee meaneth ouer-spread the whole face of the earth and that our Church of Protestants was not visible to the world And many more Protestants confesse that the Faith or doctrine which Protestants now teach and professe hath been no where visibly knowne published or preached since the Apostles times vntil Luther as is set down more at large in the Protestants Apologie for the Roman Church And it is of it selfe so manifest that no Protestant hath hitherto bin able to assigne in the time betweene the death of the Apostles and rising of Luther one onely Protestant Minister Doctor Writer or Teacher that held professed or taught the doctrine which Protestants doe now hold and teach Whereby it is manifest that in all that time which is about the space of one thousand foure hundred yeares there were no knowne Protestants but all knowne Christians who liued within the compasse of these yeares were either Roman Catholikes or reputed Heretikes by both parties Whereupon we rightly inferre that all knowne Christian men who liued in all ages since the time of the Apostles vntill the rising of Luther knowne Heretikes and so reputed by both partie onely excepted doe testifie that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was Author of the Catholike Romaine Faith euery Christian beleeuing that our Lord Iesus Christ was the Author of this Religion and Planter thereof vpon earth Now that there were knowne Roman Catholikes liuing and being during these fourteene hundred yeares Protestants themselues confesse Fulke in his Treatise against Stapleton page 25. affirmeth Some Protestants haue written that the Pope hath blinded the world these many hundred yeares some say a thousand some one thousand two hundred some nine hundred And the same Protestant in his retentiue Motiues pag. 248. speaking of Leo and Gregory Bishops of Rome the first of them liuing about the yeare of our Lord 440. and the second of them about 590. saith The mystery of iniquitie so he calleth the Pope and our Catholike Faith wrought in the Sea of Rome neare fiue or six hundred yeares before them MIDLETON in his Papisto-mastix page 193. affirmeth saying Wee are sure that the mysterie of iniquitie so he pleaseth to call the Pope and our Catholike Faith did worke in Pauls time and fell not a sleepe as soone as Paul was dead c. and therefore no maruell though perusing Councels Fathers and Stories from the Apostles forward wee finde the print of the Popes feete SEBASTIAN FRANCVS in his Epistle De abrogandis Statutis ecclesiasticis affirmeth That for certaine through the worke of Antichrist so he calleth the Pope and our Catholike Faith the externall Church of Protestants together with the Faith and Sacraments vanished away presently after the Apostles departure So potent were the Pope and Roman Catholikes euen in the Apostles times that presently after the Apostles departure they were able to make the externall Church of Protestants together with the Faith and Sacraments of Protestants vanished away as this Protestant affirmeth Brokard in his Treatise vpon the Reuelations pag. 110. affirmeth That the Church of Protestants was troden downe and oppressed by the Papacie euen from Syluesters time vnto these times Which he there and page 123. accounteth to haue been for the space of 1260. yeares Napper in his Treatise vpon the Reuelations pag. 68. saith Betweene the yeare of Christ 300. and 316. the Antichristian and Papisticall raigne began raigning vniuersally and without any debatable contradiction 1260. yeares and pag. 145. he saith euen 1260. yeares the Pope and his Cleargie hath possessed the outward visible Church of Christians Yet the Pope and his Cleargie could not come to raigne vniuersally and without any debatable contradiction vpon a sudden as wee see by experience in Protestant Ministers who haue beene now about an hundred yeares and yet doe not reigne or possesse their Religion in any one Countrey without some opposition whereby it is manifest that the Pope and his Cleargie were many hundred yeares before they could obtaine to reigne vniuersally without any debatable contradiction Downham in his Treatise of Antichrist lib. 2. cap. 2. pag. 25. affirmeth That the generall defection of the visible Church foretold in the second of the Thessalonians which hee esteemeth to haue beene wrought by the Pope and Roman Catholikes began to worke in the Apostles times Caelus secundus Curio in his booke De amplitudine Regni Dei lib. 1. pag. 43. saith Are we ignorant in how great darkenesse blindnesse and ignorance so he calleth our Catholike Faith the world hath continued almost from the Apostles age to these very times in which aboue all expectation our Lord began to manifest himselfe And Perkins vpon the Creed page 307. affirmeth That during the space of nine hundred yeares the Popish heresie so he pleaseth to call the Catholike Roman Faith hath spread it selfe ouer the whole earth whereby appeareth that it was fiue or sixe hundred yeares before since it could not spread it selfe of a sudden ouer the whole earth And by these confessions of Protestants themselues and by many
I sware to Abraham neither will I forsake thee vntill I haue performed whatsoeuer I haue spoken And I appeale to your Maiesty wel pleased to consider whether it bee more conuenient to beleeue the words of God when hee saith hee will performe his oath and promises then the words of Protestant Ministers who affirme that the seede of Christ hath failed and now after a thousand and fiue hundred yeares they are sent to plant it in corners of the earth What is found more madde saith Saint AVGVSTINE then this folly or August cont epist Parmeniani lib. 1. rather frenzie In so many Nations of the world and for the most part God hath fulfilled and doth yet fulfill vntill it come vnto all which he hath promised who said I will not leaue thee vntill I doe these things which I haue spoken vnto thee And now these Protestants doe beleeue such as tell them that it is not fulfilled what God promised and that therefore the seed of Abraham which is Christ to haue decayed in those parts of the earth in which it was planted and that the promises of God are voide because they are not admitted into their Communion amongst whom it is fulfilled Thus Saint Augustine So If the oath of God or the Promises made to Abraham Isaac and Iacob written by Moyses may finde grace and credit with your Maiesty it is manifest by their testimonies that our Sauiour was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith CHAP. V. By the testimony of the Prophet DAVID and the Psalmes our Sauiour was Author of the Catholike Roman Faith OVR Sauiour saith That all things must Luke 24. 44. needs be fulfilled which is written in the Psalmes of him So we will examine what the Psalmes say of our Sauiour and his seede the Christians that wee may see whether the Prophecies contained therein be verified vpon Romane Catholikes or vpon Protestants it being now a thousand and six hundred yeares since the Natiuitie of our Sauiour those must needs be his seed and true Christians vpon whom they are verified seeing that it is impossible Hebr. 6. for God to lye First the Psalmes say Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I will giue thee the Psal 2. 7. Gentiles for thine inheritance and thy possession the ends of the earth Secondly All the ends of the earth shal remember Psal 21 27. and be conuerted to our Lord and all the Families of the Gentiles shall adore in his fight Because the Kingdome is our Lords and he shall haue dominion ouer the Gentiles Thirdly For thy fathers there are borne sons to thee Psal 40. thou shalt make them Princes ouer all the earth they shall be mindefull of thy name in all generation and generations for euer and for euermore Fourthly The God of gods our Lord hath spoken and Psal 49. 1. hath called the earth from the rising of the Sinne vnto the going downe thereof Fiftly Their sound is gone into all the earth and their Psal 18. words into the ends of the world Sixtly He shall descend as raine vpon a fleece of wooll Psal 71. 6. and as the drops distilling vpon the earth In his dayes shal arise Iustice and abundance of peace so long as the Moone endureth And he shall rule from sea to sea and from the riuer vnto the end of the world Seuenthly I will put him the first begotten higher Psal 88. 27. then the Kings of the earth I will keepe my mercies vnto him for euer and my Testament faithfull to him I will put his seed for euer and euer and his Throne as the dayes of heauen But if his children shall forsake my Law and keepe not my Commandements I will visite their iniquitie with a rod and their sinnes with stripes but my mercy I will not take away from him neither will I hurt in my truth And many more the like Prophecies of the conuersion of the Gentiles and propagation of the Faith or seede of our Sauiour ouer the world for euer which cannot bee verified vpon Protestants or Protestantisme who haue beene so farre off from hauing the Gentiles for their inheritance and their Possessions vnto the ends of the earth or conuerting all the Families of the Gentiles or from hauing abundance of peace as long as the Moone endureth or from hauing their seed to endure for euer and their throne as the dayes of heauen that in all the time which was betweene the death of the Apostles and the rebellion of Luther which is for one thousand and foure hundred yeares or thereabouts they are not able to assigne one Doctor Preacher or Writer that held or taught the doctrine Protestants doe now preach and teach That our Catholike Romane Faith was planted by the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord and hath continued successiuely dilated ouer the world according to these Prophecies we haue proued in the first second and third Chapters Whereupon wee rightly inferre that by the testimonie of Dauid and the Psalmes our Sauiour was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith and conclude this Chapter with the words of Saint AVGVSTINE saying We may see many accuse themselues of their former August epist 48 blindnesse who could beleeue that Christ was exalted aboue the heauens though they did not see it and yet did deny that his glory was ouer all the earth although they did see it When the Prophet hath so clearely comprehended them both in one sentence saying Be exalted aboue the Psal 107. heauens O God and thy glory ouer all the earth CHAP. VI. By the testimony of the Prophet Isay our Sauiour was Author of the Catholike Romane Faith THE Prophet Isay speaking more abundantly of the seed Faith and Religion which was to be planted by our Sauiour then the rest of the Prophets saith It is a small thing that thou Isay 49. shouldest bee my seruant to raise the Tribes of Iacob and to conuert the dregges of Israel Behold I haue giuen thee to be a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be saluation euen to the furthest part of the earth Kings shall see and Princes shall rise and adore for our Lords sake because he is faithfull and for the holy one of Israel who hath chosen thee Againe Behold I will Isay 49. 22. lift vp my hand to the Gentiles and to the people I will exalt my signe And they shall carry thy sons in their armes and thy daughters vpon their shoulders And Kings shal be thy nursing fathers and Queenes thy nurses with countenance cast toward the ground they shal adore thee and they shal licke vp the dust of thy feete and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. This Prophecie cannot be verified of Protestanisme First for that they were neuer yet any light to the Gentiles and a saluation to the furthest part of the earth that they might become Christians many Protestants denying Christianity become Turkes in
according to the testimonie of the new Testament our Lord was Author of our Catholike Faith and Religion And first the Angell Gabriel foretelling the estate of the Church to come saith to our blessed Lady Thou Luke 1. 31. shalt conceiue in thy wombe and shalt beare a Sonne and thou shalt call his name IESVS he shal be great and he shal be called the Son of the most High and our Lord God shal giue him the seat of Dauid his Father and he shal reigne in the house of Iacob for euer and of his Kingdome there shal be no end And in like manner an Angell of our Lord said vnto the Shepheards Behold I euangelize Luke 2. 10. to you great ioy that shal be to al people not to one people of Brittans or Germans but to al people because this day is borne to you a Sauiour which is Christ our Lord. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heauenly armie a multitude of Angels praysing God and saying Glory in the highest to God and in earth Peace to men of good wil. As it was foretold by the Prophet Isay saying A little childe is borne to vs c. His Empire shal be multiplied and there shal be no end of peace he shal sit vpon the throne of Dauid and vpon his Kingdome that he may confirme it in iudgement and iustice from this time and for euer That the Kingdome heere spoken of is the Church professing the Faith or Gospell planted by our Sauiour our Lord himselfe doth witnesse saying In the Matth. 13. 14. end of the world the Sonne of Man shall send his Angels and they shal gather out of his Kingdome all scandals and them that worke iniquity Againe And this Gospell of the Kingdom shal be preached in the whole world Againe Matth. 24. 14. And Iesus went about teaching and preaching the Gospel Matth. 4. 23. of the Kingdome So if the Angels of God and multitude of his heauenly Armie may finde grace and credite with your Maiestie to be beleeued by their testimonies it is manifest that our Sauiour came to plant the Catholike Romane Church and Faith which as we haue proued in our first Chapter was taught by our Sauiour and planted by the Apostles amongst the Romans hath continued and shall continue amongst them vntill the day of Iudgement and as is confessed by Protestants hath reigned vniuersally without any debatable contradiction 1200. yeares as is set downe in the third Chapter CHAP. XI Wherein is proued by the testimony of our Sauiour himselfe that he was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith OVR Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ foreseeing that many Heretikes would arise and say that his Seede Faith Word Church or Gospell had failed and decayed and that they were immediatly sent from God to plant a new Faith or reforme or restore the Gospell c. To preuent their hereticall falsehood hee warneth all his faithfull that they should not beleeue them saying Doe not thinke that I came to breake the Law the olde Matth. 5. 18. Testament or the Prophets I am not come to breake but to fulfill for assuredly I say to you Till heauen and earth passe one iot or one tittle shall not passe of the Law the olde Testament till all be fulfilled and the Church of Matth. 5. 2. God begunne in Ierusalem and Iuda be dilated to the West and to the East and to the North and to the Gen. 28. South as God spake to Abraham and his seed for euer Luke 1. 55. So supposed that our Sauiours words are true and that hee was the Messias and came to fulfill and performe the things promised by the Prophets and not to breake or violate their promises the Sunne was neuer more manifest in the moneth of August then it is manifest that he fulfilled the Prophecies by planting the Catholike Romane Faith and not by planting Protestantisme since Romane Catholikes haue been visibly multiplied ouer the world for many hundred yeares some Protestants say for nine hundred years some say for a thousand other Protestants say for twelue hundred and others say for more as is set downe in the third Chapter whereas the Prophecies haue beene so farre off from being fulfilled in Protestantisme that presently after the death of the Apostles it vanished away and hath been no where visibly knowne for one thousand foure hundred yeares So we may speak to Protestants who imagine that their Religion is true or was the Faith planted by our Sauiour and say to them in the words of our Sauiour Doe not thinke that our Sauiour came to break the Law or the Prophets Matth. 6. 18. he came not to breake but to fulfill Secondly our Sauiour foretelling the estate of his Church to come saith All things must needs be fulfilled which are writted in the Law of Moyses and the Prophets Luke 24. 44. Gen. 22. and the Psalmes of me And the Law of Moyses saith I wil multiply thy seed as the Starres of heauen c. The Prophets say Behold thy King will come to thee the Iust one and Sauiour himselfe poore and riding vpon an Zach. 9. 9. Asse c. He shal speake Peace to the Gentiles and his power from sea euen to sea and from the riuers euen to the end of the earth Againe And I wil send of them that shal be saued to the Gentiles into the sea into Asricke Isay 66. and Lidia into Italy and Greece to the Ilands farre off to them that haue not heard of me and haue not seene my glory And they shal shew forth my glory to the Gentiles and they shal bring of your brethren of al Nations a gift to our Lord vpon horses and in chariots and in horselittors and on Mules and in coatches to my holy mountaine Ierusalem Because as new heauens and a new earth which I make to stand before me saith our Lord so shal your seed stand and your name The Psalmes say Al the ends of the earth shal remember and be conuerted to our Psal 41. 28. Lord and all the families of the Gentiles shal adore in his sight Againe Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten Psal 2. 7. thee aske of me and I will giue thee the Gentiles for thine inheritance and thy possession the ends of the earth Againe I wil put his seed for euer and euer and his throne Psal 88. as the dayes of heauen I haue sworne in my holy if I lye to Dauid his seed shal continue for euer All which and many more the like promises and Prophecies of the encrease continuance and dilatation of the Christians the seed of our Sauiour the seed of Dauid the seed of Abraham ouer the world must as our Sauiour Luke 24. 44. saith needs be fulfilled and yet we see by experience that they are fulfilled in no other people kindred or Nation but Romane Catholikes whom Protestants confesse to