in the last Century Therefore neither in respect of time nor in respect of place can these religions be called Catholick I add farther that the Roman Catholick religion is one and the same every where but these new religions are divers differing one from another even in Fundamental Points of Doctrine while one accuses and condemns the other of Heresie How then can they be counted Catholicks For we must take notice that this Name Christian given at first to all Believers and to the whole Church was specially used to distinguish them from from the Jews and Heathens who believed not at all in Christ as the same now severeth and maketh known all Christian People from Turks and others that either deny Christ or know him not But when Hereticks began to rise from among the Christians who professed Christ's Name and owned some Articles of Faith as true Believers do while they denied others and brought in new Doctrines of their own the name of Christian was too common to distinguish and sever these Hereticks from the true faithful People and thereupon the Apostles by the Holy Ghost imposed this name Catholick upon such Believers as in all points were obedient to the Church's Doctrine When Heresies were risen says S. Pacianus and endeavoured by divers Names to tear the Dove of God meaning the Church and rent her in pieces Epist ad Sympho the Apostolical People acquired their Sirname whereby the uncorrupted might be distinguished c. and so those that before were called Christians are now sirnam'd also Catholicks Christian is my Name saith he Catholick my Sirname Hence this word Catholick is the proper note whereby the Holy Apostles in their Creed taught us to discern the true Church from any false Heretical Congregation what soever .. The very Name of Catholick says S. August keeps me in the Bosome of the Church And again We must hold the Communion of that Church which is named Catholick not only by her own Cont. Epist fundam c. 4. De vera Relig. c. 7. but also by her Enemies For whether they will or no the Hereticks and Schismaticks themselves when they speak not with their own Companions but with Strangers call no other Church Catholick but this for they could not be understood unless they did distinguish it by this name whereby it is known and called over all the World The Seventh Consideration from Succession THat Religion is to be judged the true Religion whose Pastors are all descended from the Apostles and are the Apostle's Successors or who derive their Authority and Ordination from them For by this reason it is evident that that Religion and that Church which holds that Religion is Apostolical but such is the Catholick religion therefore that is the true religion Now that all Ministers of the Catholick religion descend from the Apostles whether you regard the Power of Order or Jurisdiction is manifest for all her inferior Ministers especially Sub-deacons Deacons and Priests are ordained by Bishops the Bishops receive their Order from other Bishops and these again from others and so upwards to the Apostles who receiv'd this Power immediately from Christ as Christ from his Father As my Father sent me says he I send you and so must you send others and so I am with you and them to the end of the World As therefore all Men according to the Life of Nature by a long tract of Generations descend from Adam so all the Ministers of the Catholick Church according to Super-natural Power by a long race of Ordination and Consecration descend from Christ our Lord who is the Second Adam There is no Minister therefore in the Church of God but can derive his Power of Consecration to offer Sacrifice absolve from Sins and to administer other Sacraments whereby Christians are sanctified from Christ the Chief Fountain and Author Whence it follows that all his Works which he does by this Power are attributed to Christ as the Supreme Author who instituted this Power and invisibly presides and assists therein Man being only his Instrument whereby he does all this as St. Augustine and other Fathers excellently observe and teach In like manner all power of Jurisdiction of Ministers to rule and govern Christians to preach the Word of God to them Tract 5. in Joan. Chrysos hom 80. ad pop Ambros l. 4. de Sacram. c. 4 5. and officiate in their Pastoral Duty descends from Christ and may clearly be reduced to him for the Curates or Parish Priests have their Jurisdiction from the Bishops and Bishops from the Chief Bishop the Pope the Pope seeing he is Blessed Peter's Successor in the same Chair and Authority of governing the Vniversal or Catholick Church must needs be invested with the same Jurisdiction which was immediately conferred upon St. Peter and in him to all his Lawful Successors And also only those who have not an ordinary but a delegated Authority in the Church must have it from Parochial Pastors or Bishops or the Pope So that there is no Minister in the Catholick Church no Preacher of God's Word or Catechizer who cannot shew plainly his Mission and demonstrate the same to be derived from Christ And indeed if they could not do so they were in no wise to be heard but suspected and esteemed as Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing since they enter not into the Sheep-fold by the door but creep in privately another way Joh. 10. This Argument alwas the Ancient Fathers chiefly made use of Irenae l. 3. c. 1. Tertul. de prescrip to convince all Hereticks for by it the Continuation of our Religion from several Ages up to the time of the Apostles is clearly shew'd The Succession of Priests from the See of St. Peter the Apostle to whom our Lord commended the care of feeding his Sheep to this present Bishop August Epist 165. Optatus l. 2. cont Parm. Hier. cont Lucif keeps me in the Church says St. Augustine and the like says St. Hierome in his Dialogues But now none of the Ministers of the New Religions can shew this And indeed the power of Order whereby the Sacraments are administred and the People sanctified they cannot derive from Christ and his Apostles because they have taken it quite away Nor is there any amongst them that have received the Episcopal or Sacerdotal Order unless it be some Apostares from the Catholick Religion whose Orders then are of no more use and service and yet the Church of Christ has had always these degrees and been govern'd by them Likewise they never had any power of Jurisdiction to preach the word of God as true Pastors or to administer Baptism and rule the People in Spirituals and Divine Worship For I ask of whom had Luther and Calvin this power Of whom was either of them sent to preach their New Gospel and Reform the People For they were not sent by the Ordinary Pastors of the Church as 't is sufficiently manifest They came therefore of their own
accord without any Authority or Commission which is a certain sign they ought not to be believed but rejected For how shall they Preach except they be sent Rom. 10.15 He that entreth not by the door into the Sheep-fold but climbeth up some other way the same is a Thief and a Robber but he that entreth in by the door is the Shepherd of the Sheep Joh. 10.1 They enter not in by the door who usurp the Pastoral Office without Ordinary or Lawful Authority Whether Sectaries are sent by Christ But perhaps they will say that they were sent by Christ and received Authority from to reform the Church But 't is not enough to say so for all Arch-Hereticks or Sect-Masters affirm this of themselves therefore they ought to produce their Letters-Patents that Christ sent them whereby to convince us and confirm our Belief as the Apostles confirmed their Mission with great Miracles otherwise we ought not to accept their Reformation but are bound rather to reject them as Imposters Again how did Christ send them when they teach such different and contradictory Doctrine amongst themselves For if Christ sent Luther Calvin could not be sent by him who overthrows Luther's Doctrine in many points and damns it as Heritical On the contrary if Christ sent Calvin Luther then could not be sent by him for God is not contrary to himself nor does the Spirit of the Prophets contradict each other I omit other things which might be said to this purpose The Eighth Consideration from the consent of the Ancient Fathers and Doctors and their decision of Controversies without which there is no certainty THat Religion is to be imputed to Christ and to be preferred before all others wherein there is an unanimous consent of the chief Doctors and Fathers of every Age and Country since Christ about points of Faith which is an easie end to all Controversies and from which if you recede there is nothing to be relyed on for a certainty But such is the Roman Catholick Religion therefore 't is the only true Religion of Christ And First Touching the consent of Fathers about the Tenets of our Religion it appears by their Writings For as many ancient Doctors as have written in Greece in Asia in Egypt in Affrica in Spain in Italy in France in Germany in England of the Mysteries of our Religion are all consenting to Free-Will merit of Good Works the Sacrifice of the Mass for the Living and Dead Monastick Vows Fastings Feasts Invocation of Saints c. which are disowned by these New Religions neither can the Lutherans and Calvinists deny it but say these were the Spots and Blemishes of the ancient Fathers then inclining to Superstition and the Traditions of Men Cal. l. 2. c. 2.5.14 16. l. 3. c. 4 5. whence they fly to the Scriptures according to their own sense and interpretation But how improbable is this that all the ancient Fathers writing of these matters in divers places with so general a consent should err For the consent of many especially before they communiceate one with another in the same opinion is a great sign of Truth attracting their Minds to an unanimous consent thereof by divine illumination For 't is the property of Truth being but One to joyn and unite in consent but of Falsity being manifold to disperse into sundry Opinions and Errors Hence it is that Hereticks in several Countries writing of the same subject scarce ever agree but are divided into many Opinions having once forsaken the Truth Again there is no Tenet of the Catholick Religion can be shew'd which has been introduced a-new by any in the Church which is a manifest sign that it has always been in the Church and descended from the Apostles For if it were brought in a-new after the Apostles against Apostolical Doctrine it could be shew'd in what Generation or Age it was done where and by what Author and who opposed the same For no new Opinion is ever raised without great stir and contradiction Therefore we can shew the rise of all Heresies where when and by what Authors they first began who opposed them what strifes they made and finally what Pope and Council condemned them But if this can be demonstrated of particular Heresies how much more of the chiefest points of Religion if any innovation were made in them It is clear therefore that our Catholick Religion not only by the Succession of Ministers but also by Consanguinity of Doctrine as Tertullian expresseth it Lib. de Prescrip is continued and accords with the Ancient and Apostolical Religion That the Opinions of these New Religions disagree with those of the ancient Fathers Hereticks themselves abundantly confess since in the Chapters aforesaid they blame them of Superstition and averr they cannot be excused of Errour as we shall see more at large hereafter The Controversies of the Cath Church are easily appeased Secondly The Controversies that sometimes arise in the Church are easily decided by the continual practice of the Church For the Catholick Church hath an Infallible Judge of Controversies the Pope with a General Council by which Judge all Controversies have hitherto been easily concluded all Heresies sprung up in divers Ages have been condemned and Catholick People kept in one Faith one Religion and one Doctrine through the whole World In this manner was the Arrian Heresie condemned by the Synod of Nice under Pope Silvester the Macedonian Heresie by the Council of Constantinople under Pope Damasus the Nestorian Heresie by the Council of Ephesus under Pope Celestine the Eutychian Heresie by the Council of Calcedon under Leo the First the Iconomachists by the Second Council of Nice under Adaian the First and to omit others the Berengarian Heresie concerning the Eucharist by the Synod of Rome and Vercelles under Leo the Ninth by the Synod also of Tours under Victor the Second by the Synod of Rome under Nicholas the Second and by another Roman Synod under Pope Gregory the Seventh For all Reason requireth that the Cause of Religion being common to the whole Church should not be judged by private Persons that have obtained no Dignity nor Degree in the Church but by the Supreme Pastor of the Catholick Church together with other particular Prelates to whom the Regiment of the Church is committed and who are the Representatives of the whole Catholick Church As the Controversies about Laws and Privileges of a Kingdom are decided by none but the King and Chief Men who represent the whole Kingdom For to those who are made Superiors in any Community Spiritual or Temporal it belongs to allay Differences and decide Controversies about matters properly pertaining to their Government thereby to take away all contradiction for the suture And indeed unless the Church had this power it would have been very imperfect lamely instituted and more miserable than any Temporal Kingdom or Common-Wealth For there would never have been an end of Disputes and Contentions touching the chief points
this special Faith alone to be the cause of Justification that is that man is justified before God in that he believes stedfastly that Christ has fully satisfied for their sins for by this Faith Christ's satisfaction is applied to them and made as it were their own so that by it they are reputed just before God although their Will is not inwardly changed Therefore whilst this Faith remaineth no sin can hurt them because they remain in the righteousness of Christ which they retain firmly by Faith Upon this Doctrine there is no reason to fear the commission of any sin for no punishment no vengeance of God is to be feared since God imputes no guilt to them by reason of Christ's satisfaction communicated to them by Faith Can any Atheist desire a greater liberty to sin and lead as wicked a life as he pleases Certain Presbyterian Ministers in England confess this sufficiently who from this Opinion of Calvin tounhing Justification by Faith only among others deduce and defend these Conclusions 1. That all those err Refert ex Fono Guil. Reinold l. 10. p. 120. which think to be saved for doing many good works 2. That there is no need of labouring to do good Works for the obtaining Eternal Life because we have it already 3. This is one of the chiefest errors reigning in the Christian World to imagine that good Works can any whit avail to Salvotion 4. That our sins nothing diminish the Glory of God all the damage of sin is placed in the scandal of our Neighbour 5. Christh as redeemed us with his Blood and delivered us from all Sins and Laws so that there is no Law which obliges us in Conscience Here we are clearly freed from the Decalogue or Ten Commandments and from all the Sacraments 6. That you are nothing to God but by Faith as to confess Jesus Christ and believe that he is risen from the dead for so you shall be safe in all other things God has left you at liberty to do what you will for you may do all things without any scruple of Conscience Neither can you Perish or be Damned for any thing you outwardly do or leave undone All these things they infer and that rightly from Luther and Calvin's Foundation namely that Man is Justified by Faith only in whose Writings all these things are to be seen almost verbatim Who can wish or desire a greater liberty to be vicious Add hereunto what is above-said in the second Consideration where we have mentioned three other ways whereby this liberty is granted I omit also that Window which Calvin has opened when he teaches F. 3. C. 25. S. 12. That the pain of the Damned is nothing else but to apprehend God to be angry with them and terrifying them although thit punishment is represented to us by corporal things as darkness weeping gnashing of Teeth unquenchable fire c. by which words he sufficiently and clearly shews that Hell is nothing else but a vain fear for if God inflicts no punishment upon the Damned but only terifies them surely that fear is vain and ridiculous and Hell Torments nothing to be regarded The Tenth Reason from raking up and reviving old Heresies EVery Religion is to be avoided which conteins Heresies condemned of old by the Catholick Church which have been always taken for Heresies But these New Religions contain such Heresies yea they seem to be nought else but the very Scum of divers Heresies broach'd by several Arch-Hereticks in former Ages and of old condemned by the Catholick Church therefore we ought to fly them The Minor is to be proved Let us consider then the chiefest Tenets of these Religions First Both Luther and Calvin teach that there is no Free-will And Luther in his Thirty sixth Article affirms this to be the chief Foundation of his Religion But this was the old Heresie of Simon Magus and Valentine as St. Augustine witnesseth August Heres 46. Hier. in Prolog contr Pelag. Clemens l. 3. recognit Concil Const Sess 8. Secondly Both teach That God is the impulsive Cause of all Sin and that all Wickedness is done by the Divine Decree This was the old Heresie of Simon Magus and Florinus Vincen. Liri Euseb l. 5. c. 21. Thirdly They both teach That Good Works are not necessary to Salvation but Faith alone is sufficient This likewise was the old Heresie of Simon Magus and of the Eunomians about the year of our Lord 360. Iraen l. 1. c. 20. August Heres 4. Fourthly They hoth teach That no Sins be they never so many and great can hurt them that have Faith because the Malice of them is not imputed to Believers Which was formerly the Heresie of the Eunomians and of Basilides Carpocratis Witness Irenaeus l. 1. c. 23. 24. August Heres 54. Fifthly Calvin denies the Real Presence of Christ's Body in the Eucharist This was formerly the Heresie of Berengarius about the year of our Lord 1051. where you must note First that although some privately doubted of the matter before Berengarius and raised Questions yet none was so bold as publickly to profess the same Witness Hugo Lingonensis Aldelmanus Brixiensis in Epist suis ad Bereng Paschasius l. de verb. instit hujus Sacram. So that this was the constant Doctrine of the Church untouched by all Hereticks till the time of Berengarius And the Opinion of Berengarius was in his Life-time condemned by Five Councils and himself three times renounced his Opinion and at length died in the Catholick Faith very penitently who being dead this Heresie was extinguished almost 200 years till the Lollards revived it as Trithemius observes in his Chron. to the year 1315. The same Heresie after Wickliff held as 't is manifest in his Third Article When Wickliff died then this Heresie died also for about one hundred years till Zwinglius revived it whom Calvin and some others followed Whereby it manifestly appears that the said Opinion was always reputed in the Church for a notorious Heresie Therefore either the Church always erred in the chief Article of her Faith and so was never the Church of Christ or this Opinion which denies the Real Presence of Christ's Body in the Eucharist is truly a Heresie Sixthly Both of them take away all Traditions and will have all things contained in the Scriptures only This was the Heresie of the Arrians as appears by St. August l. 1. cont Maxim c. 2. ult Also of Nestorius Dioscurus and Eutyches as you may see in the Seventh Synod Act. 1. Seventhly They both deny the Sacrament of Pennance and Confirmation The same Heresie the Novatians taught of old Witness St. Cyp. and Theodor. l. 4. Epist 2. l. 3. Heret Fabul Eighthly They both teach That the Church consists of the Good only That at first it was visible but for many Ages perished yet all that while to exist in them only This was plainly the Heresie of the Donatists as St. Augustine Witnesseth l.
by the most blessed Virgin Mary which in the places where they are wrought are manifest to all and may he seen by every one with their Eyes and felt with their Hands which also after a strict examination by sworn Witnesses and publick Testimonies are confirm'd But say our Adversaries the true Miracles were to confirm the Gospel yours overthrow it Calv. prefac in Instit by setting up Idolatry that is the Worship of Relicks and Images Invocation of Saints the Mass c. therefore they are from the Devil But this is plain Sophism and is called a begging of the Question for they take for granted as a truth that which is to be proved and whereof the Controversy is For they suppose as a certain and undoubted truth that the Catholick Religion is false and thence they conclude that her Miracles are false and delusions of the Devil like the Scribes and Pharisees who first supposed Christ's Doctrine to be false and against the Law of Moses and then conclude that his Miracles were false and that he cast out Devils by Belzebub the Prince of the Devils Matth. 4.12 So the Heathens calumniated the Miracles of Martyrs saying they did them by Art-Magick And so did the Arians Eunomians and Vigilantians vilifie the Miracles of Catholicks as Victor St. Ambrose and St. Hierome writeth But we on the contrary Vict. Vticen l 2. de persecut Ambr. ser de S. Gervas Protas Hier. contr Vigil by the truth of Miracles which are perspicuous and obvious to all seen with their Eyes and felt with their Hands conclude the verity of the Catholick Religion about which is the Controversie for we read no where that Miracles are wrought in confirmation of false Doctrine as the Saints have done many in confirmation of the truth of the Roman Catholick Faith Did ever any Heretick raise the Dead give sight to the Blind cure the Lame and sick of the Palsie and cast Devils out of Mens Bodies Neither Luther nor Calvin nor their followers did ever any such thing Luther indeed attempted once to cast a Devil out of one of his Disciples but with great peril of his own life as Fredericus Staphylas who was present and an Eye-witness writeth Calvin also tried to raise a man to life who by his perswasion counterfeited himself dead but with that success that of a live man he made a dead one for by the just Judgment of God he who had feigned himself dead was deprived of his life while Calvin was endeavouring to restore him to life In vit Cal. c. 13 This story Hierome Boscus relates at large with the circumstances thereof Wherefore since they are not successful by true or false Miracles they strive to take away the foundation of Miracles from the Catholick Church which is the chiefest and most convincing but with no reason or probability as I have shewn As therefore they who consider the Miracles of our Lord or of his Apostles and ponder them seriously setting aside all Envy Hatred Worldly Interest or other depraved affections cannot doubt but their Doctrine was from God who ratified and confirmed it with so many prodigious Signs and Miracles So in like manner they who laying aside all malice prejudice passion and temporal profit or advantage maturely weigh and reflect on the Miracles which are every Age wrought in the Roman Catholick Church by the Saints thereof living or dead cannot chuse but believe their Doctrine and Religion is of God and the Church to which they adhere to be the true Church of God The Fifth Consideration from the Conversion of Nations THat Religion is to be esteemed the true Religion of Christ and therefore to be embrac'd to which there has been a Conversion of Nations For our Lord hath in divers places of holy Scripture Psal 1.12.21 Osea 1. Matth. Mark Luke ult promised this Conversion of the Gentiles to the true Faith and Worship of God But the Religion to which the Gentiles in all Ages have been converted is the Roman Catholick Religion and therefore not to be doubted but that it is the true Religion of Christ That this Religion to which the Gentiles have been always and even lately converted is the Roman Catholick Religion it is manifest by the things which have been done in this and former Ages In this Age innumerable have been and daily are converted in the East Indies in Japan in the great Kingdom of China and many Islands of the Indian Sea Likewise in America where are many and spacious Kingdoms All these came over to the Catholick Religion and were joined to the Church of Rome and that by Religious Mon sent for this end and purpose by the Authority of his Holiness the Pope And to look back to the foregoing Ages In the Fourteenth Age one Vincentius Ferrerius a Dominican converted to the Catholick Faith Five and Twenty Thousand partly Jews and partly Sarazens as St. Antoninus a Writer of the same Age witnesseth 3 p. Hist tit 23. c. 8. s 4. In the Thirteenth Age many in Tartary were converted to the Catholick Religion by two Dominicans sent by the Pope at the instance of their Emperor which they call the Great Cham as Paulus Venetus writeth who was an Agent to that Emperor In the Twelfth Age were converted the People of Norway by Adrian the Fourth before he was Pope as Platin writes in his Life In the Eleventh Age the greatest part of Hungary was converted and Bishops sent them by the Pope at the request of their King St. Stephen soon after his Conversion as the Centuriators tell us Cent. 11. c. 2. In the Tenth Age many Kingdoms were converted by means of Henry the First Emperor and two Arch Prelates as the Centuriators note Cent. 10. c. 2. In the Ninth Age the Vandals Bulgarians Sclavonians Polonians Danes and Moravians were converted and united to the Roman Church So the Cent. 9. c. 2. In the Eighth age most part of Germany was converted by S. Boniface sent to that end by Pope Gregory the Second Cent. 8. c. 8. In the Seventh age the Franks were converted by S. Kilian who received his Commission from the Bishop of Rome Cent. 7. c. 2. In the Sixth age the English were converted to the Catholick Faith by Monks sent into England by the authority of S. Gregory the Great In Fine Who converted Brabant Flanders Holland Freesland Westphaly France and other bordering Nations Were they not Sons of the Roman Church namely S. Servatius S. Eligius S. Rumoldus S. Amand S. Vaust S. Livinus S. Remigius S. Willebrord S. Swithbert S. Wulfranus and others who were all devoted to the Church of Rome By which it appears that all Nations that have been converted to Christ from Paganism or Judaism for above a Thousand Years were converted to the Roman Catholick Faith and adhered to the Church of Rome as appears not only by what has been already said but is more clearly manifest by the Priests Altars Sacrifice of
the Mass Veneration of Holy Relicks and Images Pilgrimages Invocation of Saints Monasteries Monks Obedience to the See of Rome and other things proper to the Catholick Religion which hath ever flourished among these nations ever since their Conversion till of late they were abolished by these New Religions Who that considers these things can doubt but the Roman Catholick Religion is the true Religion of Christ In it we see this Divine Promise of the Conversion of Nations fulfilled Hereunto so many Peoples so many remote Nations so many potent Kingdoms have fled and forsaking their Idols impurity of Life multiplicity of Wives barbarity of Manners and former licentiousness humbly stoop to the yoke of Christ have imbraced the fear of God conformed to an honest Life and were inflamed with contempt of the World and love of Heaven How can it be that this Religion should be false and impious which makes so great a change in the Minds of barbarous People To conclude how can it be that the Divine Providence for so many Ages should permit all these Nations to be deceived when they willingly forsook their Idolatry imbraced the Truth and united themselves to the Church of Christ and be plunged into other pernicious Errors and a new Idolatry and that by those who in the Church were esteemed by every one the most Lawful Ministers thereof as being famous for Holiness of Life Wisdom and Miracles God forbid we should so judge of the Divine Goodness and Providence which has so much care for the Salvation of Men. But now on the other side there has never been any Conversion of Nations made by the Lutherans Calvinists and Fanaticks never any accession of Pagan Kingdoms to their Religion but only a Revolt of those who bearing the Name of Christians but weary of their former Religion and Discipline have followed their Novelties and Liberty of the Flesh which is a clear Argument of Heresie For Heresie is nothing else but a corruption of the Catholick Doctrine and revolt of Christians from the Primitive Religion retaining still the Christian Name and it is the study of Heretical Doctors not to convert Heathens but to pervert Christians Therefore Tertullian hits them home Lib de Praescrip What shall I say touching the Ministration of the Word since it is their business not to convert Infidels but to seduce Catholicks They take greater Glory to ruine those that stand than pains to lift up them that are down For this Work of theirs is not of their own building but a demolishing of the Truth They undermine our Church to raise their own so that they can easier destroy the House that stands than raise a new Building out of ruines The Sixth Consideration from the Name of Catholick and the thing signified by this Name THat Religion is to be judged the true Christian Religion which has always been accounted and called Catholick according to the Apostles Creed I believe in the Holy Catholick Church But the Roman Church is only called Catholick and the Professors thereof Catholicks Therefore the Roman Catholick Religion only is the true Religion of Christ That it alone has been always and still is called Catholick 't is evident First By the general use of the Name over all the World Hence it is that even Hereticks many times call it the Catholick Religion and the Professors thereof Catholicks nor did ever any Sect merit this Name For the Marcionists Montanists Vid. Pacia Epist denom Cath. St. August c. 4. contr Epist sund Manicheans Donatists Pelagians Vigilantians Waldenses Lutherans Calvinists Anabaptists c. were never called Catholicks nor their Doctrine the Catholick Religion only the Church of Rome and that part of Christianity which adheres to it is called the Catholick Church and the Religion Belief and Doctrine of this Church the Catholick Religion the Catholick Faith and Catholick Doctrine and her Followers Catholicks Secondly Because the word Catholick signifies the same as Vniversal The Catholick Religion is spread over all the World or General spreading over all the World But such is the Roman Religion because being spread over all the known inhabited parts of the World it extends it self to all Nations and Kingdoms For there is no Kingdom nor Nation known to us which has not still this Religion or formerly had it or doth not now begin to profess it yea at this very time there is well near amongst all Nations a publick profession of our Religion namely in Japan China the Indies Persia Tartary Turky Affrica Brazil Peru Mexico c. For in all these places there are Catholicks to be found Churches Altars Images of Christ and his Saints celebration of Mass administration of our Sacraments observation of our Feasts and Fasts and in Fine there is publickly held the Roman Catholick Religion Who can doubt that this is the true religion and the true way of Salvation which our Lord would have proposed and preached to all Kingdoms which he hath made to grow and increase at convenient times in all Kingdoms and which every where in a manner he now preserves causing Catholicks to be dispersed through the whole World that Infidels by them might come to the knowledge of the true Religion Moreover it is Catholick in point of Time as well as Place The Catholick Religion extends it self to all Ages for it has been derived thro' all Ages from Christ's and his Apostle's time For there is no Age since that time can be assign'd wherein this Religion was not held In all Ages Mass was celebrated for the living and dead Festival and Fasting days were kept Monastick Vows were frequented the Saints invocated and their Relicks honoured with other things proper to our Religion in use and practice as 't is manifest by all Ecclesiastick Writers On the contrary if we consider all kind of Sects No Sect is called the Catholick Religion none of them were ever called the Catholick Religion or the Professors of them Catholicks as aforesaid but they took the Name of their Religion from the first Broachers of it as Simonians from Simon Magus Valentinians from Valentine Pelagians from Pelagius Lutherans from Martin Luther Calvinists from Calvin c. and none of their Religions are spread over all the World Nor dilated over all the World At first when the Catholick Religion began to appear and shew it self it was not long before it was diffused over all the World and did increase and fructifie almost in every Kingdom notwithstanding the Persecutions thereof as S. Paul tells us Rom. 10. Colos 1. But the religion of Luther Calvin and Fanaticks now for the time that it hath been in the World which is about 150 years hath made no such progress but being confined only to some few Countries does daily lose ground either by crumbling into other Sects or else by returning into Catholick religion again As also not one of them is of any ancient standing but all of them of new invention but
Luther and Calvin c. should be in the Number of those False Prophets which Christ warns you to beware of for these came forth clad with a fair pretence of the Word of God and purity of the Gospel as if God sent them to the Salvation of his Sheep but in the mean time they destroyed these Sheep with the venomous Food of their Doctrine You shall know them Christ by their Fruits Matth. 7.16 Now what were their Fruits Seditions Wars Plundering subversion of Churches and Monasteries destruction of Cities extirpation of the Antient Religion and a License to all Wickedness We know by information of the Apostles that many Heresies shall arise in the latter days many false Prophets and Seducers by the Midwifry of Satan shall appear in the World As oft therefore as any New Doctrine riseth against the Church we ought at least to suspect it and the Author of it Therefore I most humbly and earnestly beseech all those who live out of the Communion of the Catholick Church A Conclusion of the Work by the Goodness of God which created us and by the Blood of Jesus Christ which redeemed us by the Eternal Inheritance which we expect in Heaven and the Torrent of Divine Pleasure which they shall drink of that retain Truth and Justice to lay this business seriously to Heart that they would consider whether they rely upon a sure and firm Foundation that may make them secure of their Religion at the hour of death when they shall stand before the Tribunal of Christ and in that very moment shall receive an eternal and immutable Sentence Let them examine this our Consulâ—ation which we have written for that end Let them never rest or give over till they have rightly weighed and discussed all things and have obtâ—ined a full perswasion in a business of so great moment as the Salvation of their Souls Let them consider what great punishment they incur if the Religion which they profess is Heresie and they themselves Hereticks That it is a Heresie and a most notorious and pernicious one too all Catholick Doctors all Universities and the whole Christian World except those which are of it who are but few in number and slender in Learning to those that are against them undoubtedly and for certain affirm it So that finite Numbers have died and are ready to die for the Confession of it to be Heresie rather than venture the Eternal Damnation of their Souls by complying with it Heresie certainly is a most grievous sin How great a sin Heresie is First Because it makes a Man prefer his own judgment before the judgment of all the Fathers of all the Doctors of the Church of all Councils and Bishops of the whole World for he contemns them all as Men void of the Spirit of God and arrogates this Spirit to himself alone and his Companions Secondly The Spouse of Christ which is the Church it censures to be an Adulteress of Satan and Daughter of Perdition Thirdly It charges her with the crime of Idolatry and divers Superstitions Fourthly It belches forth many Blasphemies against the most Holy Eucharist and all the Saints Fifthly It abuses all Sacred Things most unworthily and scornfully Sixthly It calls the Vicar of Christ Antichrist and casts a thousand aspersions indignities and slanders on him without any shew or colour of Truth the same it does upon all Orders and Degrees of the Church Lastly Every Heretick wishes an overthrow of the whole Church and that the Catholick Religion were totally extinguished The Heresies therefore of our times swell with Pride many horrible Blasphemies many invectives and detractions many Sacrileges and most bitter hatred against the Church of Church of Christ for these things are as it were intrinsically in Heresie which habitually inclines to all these things and daily urges and excites to action All Catholick Doctors thus judge of Heresie and the matter is plain enough of it self Therefore Heresie with its issue and attendance is a greater Crime than innumerable sins of Catholicks Now I beseech them to consider How great a punishment the sin of Heresie deserves what will be the great punishment of this sin of Heresie For if for one Crime of Theft for one Act of Fornication without true repentance a Man shall suffer Eternal Fire as the Scripture plainly tells us Gal. 5. Col. 3. 1 Cor. 16. 1 Tim. 1. how great punishment shall he endure for the sin of Heresie which is more grievous than a thousand Thefts and a thousand Fornications If the pain which our earthly Fire Inflicts by the force of Nature may be increased a hundred-fold and so augmented till it be hundred times more grievous how horrible how insufferable how incomprehensible would that punishment be Let no Man flatter himself that Hell-Fire will be no pain but only I know not what Terrours of God's anger as Calvin dreameth The Scripture too plainly shews the contrary Dâ—part from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire Matth. 25.41 Their Worm never dieth and the Fire is never quenched Mark 944 God shall rain suares upon the Wicked Fire and Brimstone and a burning Tempest this shall be the Portion of their Cup. Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven in the time of thine anger Our Lord shall swallow them up in his Wrath and the Fire shall devour them Psal 11.6 The False Prophet was cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Apoc. 20 10. The same is the Opinion of all the Antient Fathers and Doctors of the Church It is therefore most certain that Hell-fire is a true and real Fire greater and fiercer than all our Fires made never so furious by the Art of Man which are but as painted Fires in comparison of the heat of Hell-fire wherein all Hereticks shall burn and be tormented day night for all Eternity as long as Hell shall be Hell as long as Heaven shall be Heaven and as long as God shall remain God and the smoak of their Torments shall ascend before the Face of our Lord for ever and ever These are most faithful and true Words Then they will curse their Deceivers and Masters who brought them into this Misery They will curse the Devil which blinded them and with divers delusions bewitched them under the colour and shew of Piety They will curse themselves for being so facile to give ease to them and believe their new Doctrine so foolishly without any diligent inquiry that in a business of so great consequence they were so blind and sloathful Lest therefore they should rush headlong into this Sea of Misery let them with all care and diligence examine this whole business of Religion by prudent and pious Counsellors particularly let them but suspend their prejudice a little which uses to be a great hindrance to this serious deliberation Things requisite to inquire the Truth I mean a certain prepossessed Opinion which many have
of Faith no end of Dissentions and Contradictions and it must necessarily in a short time have been divided into a Thousand Sects as we see it happens by the Conventicles of Hereticks Hence it is that in the Catholick Church all points of Faith are certain and defined and no variation made of them and all Catholicks unanimously consent acquiesce and are satisfied in the belief of them Hereby it follows Thirdly If you depart from the Catholick Religion you have no certainty to depend on for the true way of Salvation For what Religion will you make choice of in so great a variety The Lutheran But why not the Presbyterian or any other Fanatick Why do you profess Luther's Religion before the rest For the Presbyterians and Fanaticks have Scripture for their Religion as well as the Lutherans Again if you will imbrace the Religion of Luther which sort would you have the mild or rigid That pure Religion which Luther the German Prophet recommended or that which Philip Melancton renewed But this also is of divers sorts for the Augustane Confession was often changed If you are for Calvin's Religion why not Luther's since he is the Parent of all and the first that brought into the World this new Light of the Gospel Again if you are for Calvin's Religion whether that of Puritans or Protestants For they are very different as the English well know I omit many differences wherein these Sects are divided There is no solid Reason can be given why you should profess one for the certainly of it rather than the other since they all stiffly alledge the Word of God to be of their side that they have the Spirit of god and that the sence of Scripture is clearly for their Doctrine and that all the rest are false and manifestly against Scripture nor can they otherwise prove it but by saying that 't is clear to every one that has the Spirit Therefore they all urge the same reason for their Doctrine and rely on the same foundation You must therefore be of all their Religions or of none But the Catholick Religion proves her Tenets far otherwise namely from Sacred Scripture according to the exposition of the Holy Fathers and Doctors of all Ages from the Sanctity Miracles and Prophetick Spirit of those that profess this Religion from the perpetuity and uniformity of Doctrine through all Ages from the purity of Life which this Doctrine induceth from the Conversion of Nations to this Doctrine and from all the other Considerations set down in the foregoing Chapters The Ninth Consideration proceeding from divers Reasons why these New Religions are to be suspected and avoided ALL other Religions besides the Catholick expresly and particularly that of Luther Calvin and the Fanatick which I chiefly speak of here ought worthily to be suspected and abandoned as Heretical Sects for many Reasons which I shall here briefly commemorate and referr to your serious Consideration The First Reason from the Novelty of it ALL Novelty or all New Cutts and Fashions as St. Gregory Nazianzen calls it in any Government and chiefly in the Affair of religion are to be shunn'd and avoided The Christian religion is an ancient solid and immutable thing intended to last to the end of the World For it is the Form Strength and as it were the Soul of Christ's Church for as by the Soul the Flesh is animated into a Living Man so by religion an Assembly of Men who otherwise of themselves are but carnal is formed into the Church of Christ which is a Spiritual Kingdom As therefore the Church and Kingdom of Christ is ancient and never to be rooted out as against which the Gates of Hell that is to say no Herefies or other wicked attempts shall ever prevail Mat. ult and with which Christ has promised to remain to the end of the World De August de utit caeden c. 17. Such also must the Religion be by which this Church and Kingdom of Christ do subsist Therefore Novelty is repugnant to the true Religion But that these are New Religions is manifest First Because we can shew the first Authors of them the place time and manner how they began who resisted them what great Commotions Troubles and Mobbs were raised by reason of them and finally by whom they were condemned Now what clearer signs can there be of Novelty In the same manner all Heresies introduced against Apostolick Doctrine are convinced of Novelty because we can shew how they crept into the Church at what time they began in what place by what Author who opposed and condemned them Secondly Before the year of our Lord 1517. Luther's religion was not in the World nor Calvin's nor the other Fanaticks which are but two branches of the Lutheran Religion For it appears by Historians of that time wherein Luther first shew'd Head that there was no religion in the World but the Catholick Religion and a very few Hereticks called Hussites except the Judaick Mahometan and Pagan Religion Thirdly If you should say that some of them were existent in the World namely the Lutheran Religion c. but lay hid I ask in what place it was in what Kingdom in what Town who were the Defenders or Maintainers of it Lastly How do you know it was in Being before since it could not be manifest but by Writers who report no such thing but the contrary Besides when there were in every place Inquisitors of Heresies how could this Religion lie hid so many hundred years and not be discovered and never any one of the Followers of it fall into their Hands and be corrected Never any Heretical Sect could so hide it self but be often taken and publickly called in question and examination Again if this religion was in the World before Luther why did not the Professors of it who have hitherto lay hid come forth and acknowledge him as a Doctor of their Faith and a Champion of their religion Why did they not appear in publick and join with him as their Partner and Patron who had set at liberty their religion before suppressed and persecuted But no such ever appeared that had been of this religion before him but all of them were of the Catholick Religion before they turned to Luther as Luther himself before he revolted was a Roman Catholick and a Friar L. de Missa augular l. 2 contr Swingl and said Mass seriously and devoutly fifteen years together as himself confesseth Whereby it is clearer than the Sun at noon day that Luther's Religion is altogether new and was unknown to the World before his time Not any Congregation of Men and perhaps no single person was ever in Being before him that professed the same Religion that is all the same points of Faith his whole Body of Doctrine For although he might hold some Opinions of ancient Hereticks yet the Relagion of Luther and the ancient Hereticks is not therefore the same but in part For Religion is a
well against these and other Authors and Defenders of the New Religions of this Age but I meddle with them against my Will He that would know more let him read the Life of Beza written by Bolsecus the Flowers of Julius Bergerus and the Commentaries of Surius and others Who now that seriously considers these things can be induced to believe that God should make such Men the Reformers of his Church that were so infamous ambitious proud passionate envious of such scurrilous language and vicious lives in the judgment of the World Who ever observed such manners in the Apostles or Prophets The Apostles indeed were most of them mean and of low condition but none infamous for any Vice except Judas who was expelled and although they were illiterate and simple yet suddenly they became admirable for Wisdom sanctity of Life and splendour of Miracles They were wonderful for their humility meekness contempt of the World possessions and pleasures of this Life wonderful for Charity towards their Neighbour circumspection and modesty in their Words The like manners we behold in all those which God made his Instruments for the Conversion of Nations or to reform the lives of Christians for example in St. Augustine the Apostle of England in St. Boniface of Germany in St. Adelbert St. Otho St. Willebrord St. Eligius and others of other Nations in St. Benedict St. Bernard St. Romuald St. Dominick St. Francis c. by whose good Example and Holy Doctrine many were excited to a contempt of earthly things and love of heavenly If now for the Conversion of manners in some People God made use of such Men whose lives bred admiration in the World and yet were not sent immediately by God but received their Mission in an ordinary way from the Chief Bishop the Pope What kind of Men I pray ought they to have been who were immediately sent by God and that to reform the chief Principles of Religion yea to repair the whole Church and Kingdom of Christ fallen to ruine although all the sanctity and excellency all the Vertues and Spiritual Gifts which were in St. Jahn Baptist and all the Apostles compacted together in one had been infused into them yet all this had scarce been enough to gain them a sufficient Authority for so great an enterprize And shall we be so stupid and foolish as to believe that the Divine Wisdom in a matter so weighty and prodigious would make use of Men not only destitute of Piety but also infamous unchast ambitious revengeful and slanderous What was this else but to give a just occasion to all that had but the least spark of prudence not to admit them but to count them Impostors For if being infamous they cannot be admitted to any Dignity or Office Ecclesiastical or Secular nor be Witnesses to accuse or plead Cap. infamibus l. 6. l. qui accusar l. 1. de postulan how can they be allowed for the Reformers of Religion Repairers of the Church Judges of Bishops Popes and General Councils c. The Sixth Season from their Errors and inconstancy of Doctrine THe sixth Reason Because the Authors of these Religions have manifest Errors and are very unconstant in their Doctrine which is a clear sign they had not the infallible direction of the Holy Ghost and therefore were not immediately sent from God nor to be credited For as many as ever God sent to instruct the People were by him so guided and directed that in their Preaching and Writings they could not be deceived Hence it is that no Error in the least could ever be found in the Doctrine of the Prophets and the Apostles which our Lord also insinuates saying ' One jot or one title shall not pass from ' the Law till all be fulfilled Matth. 5.18 The same more at large teaches St. Augustine in his Epistle to St. Hierome where he saith If in any part of Holy Scripture there were found but one lye it would totally destroy the Authority of that Writer For he that is deceived in one thing may be likewise deceived in another and therefore we cannot firmly and surely depend on him The same Luther himself teaches in many places whose words are these If I should be false and so grosly foolish as to be once cateh'd in a lye presently all my Doctrine Honour and Credit would fall to the ground and be utterly ruin'd Every one would count me a most wicked and infamous Rascal and that justly And in another place he says He that once tells a lye for certain God never sent him and is to be suspected and doubted in all he says the which he inculcates in several other places of his Works Yea our Lord himself in the Holy Seriptures hath given us this sign and mark that if we can discern a Prophet to utter any thing false we may know for certain that God never sent him Upon this sure and firm foundation I frame this argument Whosoever errs but in one thing in his Doctrine that Person is not sent from God but Calvin and Luther in their Doctrine erred in many things therefore 't is certain that God never sent them The Major has been already suciffiently proved as our Adversaries themselves confess The Minor I shall prove And to omit those things which they falsly impose upon Catholicks and which they falsly affirm in our Doctrine to be new and unknown to the ancient Fathers and to pass by also their Historical and Chronological Errors I shall instance only two of great moment common to them both The First says That Man has no Free-will but all things happen by an inevitable or unavoidable necessity The other That God is as well the Author and Forcer of our Evil Works as of our Good Works That these are most gross and pernicious Errors it is manifest because they destroy all Government all Exhortations all Laws and Precepts and all Judgments and Tribunals For all these things are in vain if there is no Free will all punishment for Offences would likewise be unjust for that which is not ftee and voluntary and which God forces us to do deserves no punishment Lastly they take away Hell and all penalty of the Life to come Moreover they introduce a Liberty to commit all manner of Sins as above in the Second Consideration it is declared These two Tenets have occcasioned many to turn from Calvinism Flores Cal. pag. 69. to be Turks or Atheists For it is better to have no God at all than to esteem him the Author and Enforcer of all Sin Now their inconstancy of Doctrine even in the greatest and weightiest matters is incredible From the Creation of the World there has not been a Writer so forgetful of himself nor so contrary to himself and Subverter of his own Doctrine as Luther for he no less contradicts himself than he does the Holy Fathers and Councils and that almost in every Article of Faith as Coclaeus amongst other Authors shews at large
and this he confesses he did on purpose against Limbus Patrum Purgatory and Christ's descending into Hell which he calls foul Errors and marvelleth that most of the ancient Fathers were in that error namely of Christ's descent into Hell and delivering the old Fathers What need we more He opposeth himself both against plain Scriptures and ancient Fathers perverting the one and contemning the other to overthrow that truth which is an Article of our Creed whereby it is evidently false which some of them say for their defence That none of them did purposely translate falsly Calvin so expounds almost all the places of Scripture which the Holy Fathers alledge to prove the Trinity of Persous and Godhead of the Son and Holy Ghost as to make them invalid whereby as he followed the Jews Sabellians Arians and Macedonians so he made way for the Socinians who first came up from among his followers The whole 53 Chapter of Isaiah which manifestly speaks of Christ's Passion Death and Satisfaction he Metaphorically Expounds of the troubles of the Jews which they suffered for their sins What could be more violently wrested oe more absurdly explicated What can more resemble the Jews perfidiousness Christ says If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Matth. 19.17 Calvin will have this to be spoken ironically or in a Jeer. It is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews Christ was heard for his Reverence Calvin Expounds for his fear and doubt and says that it signifies Christ was strucken with so great fear and terror of Death that he despaired as it were of his Eternal Salvation Monsieur de Plessis a Calvinist in a certain Book of his touching the Lord's Supper has corrupted above a hundred Testimonies of the ancient Fathers and Doctors by adding or diminishing and several Objections which the said Fathers urged against the Truth and afterwards solv'd as 't is frequent with St. Thomas and other School Doctors he has produced as their proper Judgment and Opinion Of which matter he was publickly convicted by the Bishop of Eureux be fore the King of France These things are known over all France The same tricks use all their Writers when they allege any thing out of the Fathers in defence of their Heresies Besides they omit plain places where the Scriptures or the Fathers explicate their meaning on set purpose and clearly and fly to obscure places of Scripture and of the Fathers where they speak only by the by or of another thing and do but touch upon the point in dispute How many Arguments do they bring not only against the Real Presence of Christs Body in the Eucharist but also against other most evident Articles of Faith As against Free Will Inherent Justice Merit of Good Works Authority of General Councils c. for there is nothing in our Faith so clear which may not in appearance be contradicted by certain obscure places in Scripture or the Fathers Nor is there any thing so absurd which may not be defended For what can be more absurdly said than that Christ's Body is every where as his Divinity is And yet they endeavour to confirm this by many Testimonies of the Scriptures and Fathers What is more absurd than to say God is the Author of all Evil That Man has no Free-Will And yet they instance many obscure places out of the Scriptures and Fathers to ratifie these things If they seek the Truth why do they let pass the clear places of Scripture and run from the plain to the obscure and in the explication of them why do they not acquiesce to the Judgment of the Antient Fathers and Doctors who were before our time but will rely upon their own sence only When any obscure Sayings of the Fathers seem to favour them presently they cite them and endeavour to strengthen their Doctrine with the Authority of Fathers But when Catholicks quote out of the Fathers that which clearly overthrows their Doctrine They Answer That the Fathers were men subject to Errour but themselves depend upon the Word of God which cannot err They reject the Fathers If you tell them that the Fathers relied upon the Word of God They Answer That the Fathers followed not the mind or Spirit of the Divine Word and therefore they were deceived If you ask them how they came to know that the Fathers observed not the true sence of God's word but that themselves do observe it They will Answer It is evident by the Word of God But how is it evident when there are so many different Interpretations thereof and all the Fathers interprete otherwise than themselves and the Lutherans otherwise than the Calvinists or Anabaptists Then they reply 'T is evident to him that has the Spirit but to others it is not evident So the Patrons of each Sect will Answer and the final Judgment of their several and different Opinions they refer to the private Spirit They reduce all things to the private Spirit The Calvinists therefore say that all the Fathers and Doctors and all the General Councils wanted the Spirit to understand the Scriptures the same Holy Spirit they affirm the Lutherans and Anabaptists wanted but themselves only possess him that God has given him only to the Calvinists and therefore to themselves its manifest that whatsoever they teach is the pure word of God The Lutherans say the same thing of the Councils and Pathers and also of the Calvinïsts and Anabaptists that they all want the Spirit of God which is given only to themselves and so say they it is clear that what we teach is the plain pure word of God In fine the Anabaptists do the same challenging to themselves the said Holy Spirit and denying him to all others But how absurd are all these things and how distant from all reason How incredible is it that all the Catholick Doctors and Fathers should lack the Spirit of understanding the Scriptures and that this Spirit should be granted only to the Calvinists Lutherans or Anabaptists How vain and ridiculous is it for every Sect to claim this Spirit to their own followers and without any other proof than to say It is manifest and clear to him that has the Spirit but not manifest and clear to him that has not the Spirit Is not this to walk in a Circle and beg the Principle and resolve all Controversie into that which is chiefly obscure and can be manifest to none For how shall I know that you have the Spirit When ever did the Doctors of the Catholick Church in this manner prove their Tenets For every proof or provation ought to be drawn from that which is more manifest to the Adversary and easier granted by him But this probation upon which is founded all their Principles proceeds from what is more obscure and depends only upon the Testimony of a private Man who is a Party and Accuser in the Cause for you cannot prove to me that you have this Holy Spirit but by
Salvation as not only all Catholick but likewise Lutherans Calvinists and Anabaptists teach Therefore your special Faith will avail you nothing unless you have the true Religion of Christ Now that all Professors of the Catholick Religion may easily render an account of their Religion to the Supreme Judge and fear no danger for being Catholicks is manifest For suppose that I stand before that terrible Judgment-Seat of Christ and am asked why I followed the Catholick or as Hereticks call it the Papists Religion and not rather by forsaking it turn'd to the New Reformed Religion of Calvin I will answer with great security Therefore I professed the Catholick Religion because it teaches me to withdraw my mind from the love of earthly things and fix it upon heavenly It teaches me to mortifie the Flesh to fear God to practice Good works to obey my Superiours to be instant in Prayer and to cut off all occasions of Sin I stuck to the Catholick Religion because I saw therein many famous over all the World for Wisdom Holiness Miracles and the Spirit of Prophecy it being impossible for them to be deceived in so great a matter because I saw God hath established this Church for several Ages by many Miracles because I saw therein the Promises of God fulfilled for it is spread over all the World To this Church the Conversion of Nations has been made hitherto and is dayly making In this Church there has been a continual Concord of the Doctors in points of Faith In this Church there has been a perpetual Succession of the Chair and Connexion of all Ministers with the Apostles In this Church there is a speedy decision of all Controversies This Church for many Ages has stood immovable against all Heresies and Persecutions of Tyrants so that the Gates of Hell could never prevail against it Matth. 16.18 But I perceived in all these New Religions all things contrary to this therefore there was no reason for me to renounce the Catholick Religion or in the least to doubt of it But though I should omit all this which I haye said Is not this alone sufficient for my security that I have followed a Religion which those have been of who were most Holy and Famous for Miracles over all the World as S. Benedict S. Bernaod S. Diminick S. Francis c. For it clearly appears that such Heavenly Souls so dear and devoted to God such beloved and familiar Friends could not possibly be deceived in so great a business as the Salvation of their Souls Therefore I may securely follow these Guides in reference to Religion But you now who have followed some other New Religion What a Heretick can answer what account I pray can you make of it when you shall be examined before the terrible Judgment-Seat of Christ Perhaps you will answer the Judge Therefore I deserted the Catholick Religion because I thought it full of Idolatry Superstition and Humane Traditions I thought that Antichrist reigned in it and I thought that Catholicks depended upon their own Merits and not upon the price of your Blood But what if the vail of Diabolical delusion which now blinds you being then taken off you see your self clearly deceived what Counsel will you take For there will be ro more time and place for repentance Perhaps you will plead Ignorance but this will not excuse you because you might have easily known the Truth if you had used that diligence which the matter required nor did you ever want a just occasion of doubting which should have stirred you up to a diligent enquiry As therefore it shall not excuse the Jews that they erred by ignorance because they might have known the Truth if they would so neither shall it excuse you For to depart from the Catholick Religion without sin you ought not only to think and surmise by reason of some slight suspicions but to know certainly that such Evil Doctrine is taught in the Catholick Church by using diligence and setting aside all worldly interest so that no farther scruple could be left nor any just reason to doubt But you are so far from having any such certainty of the Churches Errors that no probable reason can be given for it For what probability or shew of Truth could induce you to believe that Religion was full of Idolatry and Errours which you saw professed by so many eminent Men for Wisdom and Holiness of Life Which you saw or might have seen confirmed with so many Miracles and Martyrs Which you beheld diffused through the whole World In which you saw so great Concord in points of Faith and constant Succession Continuation and Conjunction with the Apostles How could it possibly be that in so many Ages none of the Holy Fathers and Doctors should spy this Idolatry these Superstitions and Errors Again how could you be perswaded to believe that to be the true Religion of Christ which makes God the Author and Forcer of all Sin Which takes away from Men Free-will Which extirpates all Good Works Which opens the Gate to all manner of Wickedness as much as Atheism Which takes away subjection to Laws and obedience to Princes under pretence of Christian Liberty Which recalls from Hell many old and condemned Heresies Whose Authors were renowned for no austerity of Life no Piety no Miracles but Men given to the Pleasures of the Flesh covetous of worldly Goods ambitious slanderous envious seditious infamous for Apostacy sacrilegious Marriages preposterous Lust and inconstancy of Doctrine Lastly If any of these New Religions are true then the Church of Christ is fallen for so many Ages the Kingdom of Christ is overthrown the Divine Promises touching the stability of the Church are frustrated and the Gates of Hell have prevailed against it Then for so many Ages the Gospel has been Preached in vain and in vain believed so many Gentiles have been in vain converted from Paganism in vain Baptized and received other Sacraments in vain they fasted and mortified the Flesh and so many thousands in vain suffered Mrrtyrdom by the effusion of their Blood for the Confession of Christ Then all our Ancestors are perished the Holy Fathers are perished so many Myriads of Confessors which were wholly devoted to God and famous for Sanctity Miracles and Prophecy are all perished and damned For they were all without the true Religion and Righteousness of God and all addicted to Idolatry But if these things are false blasphemous and horrible to think how could it be you did not conceive these New Religions to be false or at least to doubt of them from which such cruel and frightful things are clearly deduced But if you doubted why did you not endeavour to know the Truth upon which your Salvation depends Our Lord admonishes us to beware of False Prophets which come to us in Sheeps-cloathing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves Matth. 7.16 What 's the reason it did not come into your Mind sometimes and make you afraid lest
their Apostles such as Luther Calvin Melancton Zwinglius c. who they suppose were indued with the Spirit of God or because each one by his own judgment conceives them to be contained in the Scriptures or lastly because the private Spirit inwardly witnesseth them to be true or that such is the sence and meaning of the Holy Scripture For whatsoever the Sectaries of this time believe they believe for some of these three reasons and one of the three they make the foundation of their Faith and motive of belief But these three Foundations or Motives of belief are altogether deceitful as you shall see That the first Foundation namely the authority of Luther Calvin and others that devised these New Religions is deceitful is manifest because experience shews they could be deceived and did really err in many things For many things they revoked many things they corrected they contradicted themselyes in many things as is clearly demonstrated in the Ninth Consideration and Sixth Reason of my Consult about Religion Hence it is that now but few depend on their Authority saying they were Men subject to Errour and therefore their Followers desert them as they list where they think they can find some better Doctrine Their Authority therefore is deceitful even in the Opinion of their own Disciples and Followers Nor is the other ground less deceitful to wit their own private judgment whereby they expound the Scriptures For many things which are indeed false to a private Judgment seem to be true and those things which at first seemed to be true are afterwards found to be false Hence it is that there are such diversity of Opinions such chopping and changing of Religions because Humane Judgment is very weak especially in the Mysteries of Faith and Understanding of the Scripture which transcend Humane Capacity Many Answer that in believing Whether they rely on Scripture they do not rely on their own judment but the Holy Scriptures which cannot err How miserably they are deceived herein appears by this that almost all Sectaries say they rely upon Scripture when they disagree in many things amongst themselves and teach things contrary to one anothers Doctrine which could not rationally be done if they relyed upon the lawful understanding of Scripture and not on their own private judgment For the Scripture is no where contrary to it self it disagrees in no place with it self therefore the reason why they so much differ amongst themselves is because they interpret the sence of Scripture according to their own private Judgment which is divers according to the variety of Judgments and Understandings of Men. They rely therefore upon Scripture not as 't is interpreted by the Holy Fathers of the Catholick Church but according to their own private Judgment For the virtue and efficacy of the Scripture consists not in the naked Words but in the right meaning and interpretation Therefore their whole foundation is their own private judgment which how deceitful it is the dissentions of so many Sects clearly demonstrate Lastly The Third Foundation of their belief on which many The private Spirit at this time depend is the most deceitful of all because among the Fanaticks who pretend most of all to the instinct of the Spirit there are the greatest differences and divisions amongst themselves which could not be unless the Spirit which rules and governs them and on which they depend were deceitful and various The same is observable amongst the Lutherans and Presbyterians and the different Sects and Factions of them both for every one is certain of the truth of his Opinion by the private Spirit which instructs him whereby it is most manifest and clear that this Spirit is not the Holy Spirit the Spirit of God and Truth which cannot teach contradictions and be against it self but the Wicked Spirit the Spirit of Errour Who is a Lyar from the beginning and the Father of Lies who lives in the Children of unbelief Joh. 8.44 of whom the Apostle says Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusions to believe a Lye c. 2 Thes 2.11 And in another place In the latter times some shall depart from the Faith attending to the Spirits of Errour and Doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. 4.1 for every Heresie is the Doctrine of Devils And S. John Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World 1 Joh. 4.1 This is that Spirit which rules in the Hearts of Hereticks and whose Testimony brag of as thinking it to be the Holy Ghost This so blinds their Understandings and perverts their Fancies that they take Light to be Darkness and Darkness Light they esteem the most clear Truth of the Catholick Faith to be Errour and their own foul and dismal Errours to be the clear Truth and certainly were they not totally bewitched and blinded they might easily perceive that that Spirit which inwardly they feel is not the Spirit of God or at least they could not choose but doubt of it since every Sect amongst whom there is so great dissension touching their chiefest Principles lays equal claim to the Testimony of this Spirit boast of it and follow it and in maintaing their Tenets repugnant to each other chiefly depend on it But this happens by the just Judgment of God For as the Jews who would not receive Christ were permitted to be blinded by the Devil as 't is plainly gathered from the Apostle 2 Thess 2. So Hereticks who have deserted the Catholick Faith which is no less a Sin than that of the Jews are permitted to be blinded by Satan and led into all Ernour And if a Man but attentively consider A greater facination of the Devil in our Hereticks than in the Jews he shall perceive a more powerful operation of the Devil in our Hereticks and a greater facination of their Mind than there is in the Jews and Turks and this for two Reasons First Because the Jews agree in their Belief and have no different Sects amongst them Among the Turks or Mahometans there be only two and they not much different But amongst the Hereticks of our days there are numbers of Sects some propagated one out of another by the rise of New Opinions mutually condemning one another of Heresie and all these are sprung up within 100 years or thereabout which is a clear sign that the Devil has a great power in the Minds of these Man to disturb their Fancies pervert their Imaginations and Judgments that they can neither stand nor rest any where Secondly Because the vulgar People among the Jews and Turks rely not upon their own judgment nor the instinct and testimony of the private Spirit but upon the judgment of their Doctors or which is the same thing upon their Scripture as 't is expounded by the Doctors of their own Religion Therefore they
have some Rule of Faith and Foundation of their Belief agreeable to Natural Reason namely the consent of their Ancestors or the Scripture interpreted according to the Sence and Religion of their Ancestors But most of the Hereticks of our Times regard not much their Ancestors and Apostles from whom they first received this New Gospel but looking upon them as Men subject to Errour though they also pretended to the Spirit as well as these forsake them and rely totally upon their own judgment or testimony of their own private Spirit or which is all one the Holy Scripture according to the sence of their own judgment or private Spirit which is an evident sign that Satan so effectually operates in them and infatuates their Minds that not only every one frames to himself New Heresies and Opinions but makes his own judgment the foundation of his Faith and Rule of Belief for every one thinks he is taught of God even Women and Children and therefore secure from all Errour What greater facination and Delusion can there be than this Hence it is that they have no certain and established Principles they decree no Body of Doctrine and Religion but ramble in uncertainties as the private Spirit shall drive them Nor can there be any dispute with them about any of their Principles because they stick to none and by reason of their ignorance they know not the Doctrine of their Ancestors But of this Spirit of Giddiness we have said more in our Consultation Consid 9. and Reason 11. Hereby it is manifestly concluded that the whole Foundation of Faith which the Sectaries of our time rely on is deceitful and therefore their Belief which depends on it is unprofitable to Salvation Eighth Reason If every one may be saved in his own Faith that confesses Christ why is there so great a dissension amongst Religions Why do they all condemn one another of Heresie and Thunder Anathema's against each other Why do the Lutherans refuse to acknowledge the Calvinists for their Brethren and publickly in their Sermons and Books avouch them to be impious and blasphemous Why in the like manuer do the Chief of the Calvinists among whom Theodorus Beza is the Father of all after Calvin so treat the Lutherans Why do the Anabaptists call themselves the only faithful Christians and esteem all others as Infidels whereby is apparent that this new fancy of being saved in any Religion is not only against the Catholick Doctrine but also against all the Sects that have any zeal for Religion or Piety and is only too proper for Atheists Ninth Reason That one may be saved it sufficeth not to keep two or three of the Commandments but of necessity he must observe all according to that of our Lord If thou would'st enter into Life keep the Commandments Mat. 8.9 For Example If any one should be an Adulterer or Thief although he should keep the other Commandments yet he cannot be saved without Repentance as the Scriptures every where teach So likewise it sufficeth not to Salvation to believe three or four Articles of Faith but of necessity we must believe all Articles which God hath revealed and propounded to our Faith by his Church For the true Faith is no less necessary to Salvation than Obedience to Gods Commandments nor ought Faith to be less perfect and intire than Obedience and Observation of the whole Decalogue As therefore our Obedience ought to extend it self to all the Commandments so Faith ought to extend it self to all things revealed according to St. James Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one is guilty of all for he that said thou shalt not commit Adultery said also thou shalt not kill Now if thou do not commit Adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a Transgressor of the Law Jam. 2.10 As if he should say he is made guilty of all and shall be punished as a Transgressor or Violator of the whole Law for despising the Law-maker who is the Author of the whole Law Therefore in like manner he that shall deny one Article of Faith although he believes all the rest is become guilty of the breach of his whole Faith and Religion because he contemns God the Supream Truth who revealed no less this than the others He contemns also the Catholic Church 1 Tim. 3.5 which is the Spouse of Christ and the Pillar and Ground of Truth and which proposes to our Belief as well this Article as the rest Note And this is the reason why he is no less an Heretic that obstinately denyeth one Article of Faith than he that denyes an hundred because in regard of this one which he denyes he despiseth God the first Verity which revealed it and he despiseth the Authority of the Church which propounds it he makes the Church also subject to Errors and a Lye whereby he makes all the rest uncertain and destroys all Divine Faith Note For if you take away the Foundation of Divine Faith all Faith must necessarily fall to ruin and decay and only Opinion or human Belief liable to Error remain Tenthly and Lastly This Opinion is very dangerous in the practice for it makes a man not care what Religion he is of what he believes or disbelieves Therefore he seeks not after the Truth and as easily and securely receives Falsehood as Truth And yet not only Catholics but even the more noted Sects such as are more eminent for Learning and Wisdom hold for a certain and undoubted Truth that without the true Faith and Religion none can be saved but will perish everlastingly Therefore the followers of this Opinion are condemned by all wise Men and they promise to themselves Salvation upon no Authority no Testimony of Scripture nor the support of Reason relying meerly upon the vain and foolish Imagination of their own Brains Let them hear therefore out of St. Fulgentius what Antiquity has ever held and what the Church hath taught in all Ages For so he writes as a general Rule of Faith Hold this for a most certain and infallible Truth Lib. de fide ad Pet. 6. Diac. c. 38. That not only all Heathens but likewise all Jews Heretics and Schismatics which end this present Life out of the Catholic Church shall go into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Again Most firmly believe and doubt not in the least chap. 39. That every Heretic or Schismatic baptised in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost if he be not reconciled to the Catholic Church whatever Alms he gives and let him live never so vertuously and devoutly though be should lay down his Life and shed his Blood for Christs sake yet he cannot be saved For every one that sticks not to the Vnity of the Catholic Church neither Baptism nor Plentiful Alms nor Martyrdom for Christ will profit to Salvation so long as any Heretical or Schismatical perverseness remains in him which leads to Death This was always the belief of the Holy Catholic Church and the undoubted Doctrin of all the Fathers which if all who are out of the Catholic Church would seriously and sadly consider and lay to heart they would clearly see what a dangerous State they live in and being sensible of their danger with Holy Resolutions hasten to the Ark of Salvation to preserve themselves from Eternal Ruin Which that they may do Do thou O Christ The True Light of the World Enlighten their Minds Amen FINIS