els but a mangled multitude of deformed corses Diuers within their owne houses were with ruines round about inclosed and imprisoned aliue and sound to be consumed with anguish and hunger amongst whome Aristenaetus gouernour of the towne breathed out his soule by the tormeÌ„t of a long death Some in their falling had their heades bruyzed broken one agaynst another some their leggs some their thighs some their armes some their very shoulders strokeÌ„ off froÌ„ their bodies who lay groning betwixt life and death with most pittifull cryes and obsecrations imploring the ayde of them that were in the same misery A great part of that infortunate Citty alwell of Churches as of houses and men might notwithstanding this calamity haue remayned had not terrible globes of flame issued out of houses which wandering euery where about the Citty for fifty dayes and fifty nights consumed into ashes whatsoeuer was obnoxious vnto fire Thus Ammianus This dreadfull destruction of Nicomedia was censured as a vengeance of God agaynst Christian and Catholike ReligioÌ„ because it happened at the same tyme wheÌ„ agaynst the errour of Photinus and Aetius a Councell of Bishops was thyther summoned to be held Sozom. â— 4. c. 15. The Bishops were in their way yea some though few already arriued who perished with the rest Amongst others that most holy man Vrsacius Episcopus Nicomediae alij ex Bosphoro Sozom. ibid. that had byn a glorious Confessour of Christ in the persecution of Licinius who forsaking the court of the Emperour hauing giuen away all to the poore there lead an heauenly forme of Monasticall life in continuall fasting and prayer renowned also for miracles as casting out of Diuels and by a word only killing a Dragon that infested the citty who likewyse had foretold this calamity wishing the cittizens particularly the Priests by pennance and prayer to seeke to preuent the same This great Saint I say put into the Catholike Martyrologe was found dead in his cell Martyrol Roman 16. Aug. or little cottage he had built to himself lying prostrate on his face as he did vse in his prayers eyther stifled with the smoake of the fire or els dying in his prayer out of griefe For he had desired of God that he might not liue after the destruction of that citty wherin he had byn made a Christian afterward professed the state of Euangelicall perfection The death of this holy man of many others was taken of Infidels as diuine vengeance vpon ChristiaÌ„ Religion so that full of ioy they went triuÌ„phing vnto the Emperour and mingling falshood with truth sayd That the whole multitude of Christian Bishops and Priests men women and children had byn slayne by the veÌ„geance of their Gods within their very Churches whither they were fled for security and succour Mâ—gno EpiscoporuÌ„ qui sacrae doctrinae fauebant dolore yea that the famous Temple built vnto Christ by Constantine his Father was vtterly from the very foundation razed as indeed it was to the great grief of the orthodoxe Bishops especially in regard of the scandall that Heretikes and Infidels tooke therat Wherby the vanity and head-long blindnes of our Aduersaries may appeare who insult vpoÌ„ Catholiks in regard of a vulgar euent a very trifle in coÌ„parison of this But something they must haue that may giue them occasion to rayle at our Religion which by reason they cannot impugne no nor dare looke vpon it truly related they know the same to be so warrantable Not altogeather so terrible yet in respect of the circumstance of the tyme more scandalous was the wonderfull destruction of the citty of Nicea where the first Christian generall Councell was celebrated agaynst the AriaÌ„s and the doctrine of Homousion or CoÌ„substantiality defined When Valence the Arian Emperour began to persecute the Nicen Fayth some few yeares after his being come to the Empire iust at the same tyme the Citty of Nicea was ouerthrown from the very fouÌ„dations by an earth-quake Saint Gregory Nazianzen tearmeth this earth-quake the greatest that had happened within the memory of man whereby his holy Brother Caesarius then the Emperours Receauer was in danger and miraculously escaped For being couered within the rubbish of the ruines the same were a defence vnto him agaynst further mischiefe till he was thence taken out a little hurt and thereupon resolued to giue ouer the world Heere the Arians did triumph agaynst the Catholiks of that tyme euen as some hoat Puritans doe now agaynst vs as if God togeather with the Emperour heauen togeather with earth had coÌ„spired agaynst the Nicene doctrine of Christs being Coeternall and Consubstantiall vnto God his Father These our Antagonists that are so iolly and iocund so puffed vp with pride at the fall of a rotten chamber vpon some few at a Catholike sermoÌ„ where no doctrine was then preached which they dare say was contrary vnto theirs how insolent and intollerable would they be if the Emperour should turne to be of their Sect and persecute the Catholike Fayth and that iust in that coniunction the Citty of Trent with the Church and place where the Councell did meete and made their Decrees should by some earth-quake or lightening from heaueÌ„ be destroyed And yet should they haue no greater argument agaynst the Tridentine then the Arians had agaynst the Nicene definition of Fayth Whence one may gather how vayne empty and destitute of solide causes of ioy their hart and their Religion is that do so much triumph at a trifle wherby they make not their strength of Fayth but their weaknes of iudgment and want of charity manifest vnto the world Other Examples strange and wonderfull HOw much did Infidels reioyce when the Christians of Moguntia were slayne by the Barbarians Ammianâ— l. 20. not as Christians in hatred of their Religion for then they had byn happy martyrs but as subiects of the Roman Empire and out of their auersion from the same which S. Hierome deplores saying Hier. ep 11. ad Aregut Moguntiacum in former tymes a famous and glorious Citty is now destroyed and many thousands murdered within the very Church As also in the death of Iouian Emperour that vnder Iulian had suffered persecution and presently vpon the death of Iulian was by the coÌ„sent of the army chosen Emperour Ammian l. 25. When Christians were fullest of ioy glorying that the Empire was giuen him of God in reward of his constancy in ChristiaÌ„ Religion Iouianus gustatis tantùm Imperialibus bonis prunarum foetore suffocatus est Hier. ep ad Heliodo de morte Nepot Socrates l. 7. c. 38. in the mid'st of their acclamatioÌ„s triumphs he was taken away by suddane death choaked with the smoake of coles in the 7. moneth of his Empire How did the Nouatians exult agaynst the Catholiks when in a most strange and horrible conflagration of the Citty of Constantinople all the chiefe monumeÌ„ts of the citty Catholike Churches being wasted with fire
kind of worldly felicity the hart of man could wish On the other side that Christians might know that they are not to serue God for these temporall goods he would haue the raigne of Iouian a most pious Emperour more short then that of Iulian the Apostata Also Graetian a godly Prince not so gracious in name as in manners he permitted vnto the sword of a rebellious Tyrant Secondly this felicity the Marke of the Church is knowne by the End which is the saluation of soules by dilatation of Christian Religion amongst Heathens and by maintenance of peace vnity in the ChristiaÌ„ Church agaynst the breaches of factious doctrine For without question Felicity that serues to so diuine heauenly an end is diuine and heauenly and sheweth the Church in fauour wherof the same is granted to be the only true Christian Church Neyther it is hard for any man to discerne vnto which Church this felicity mantayning peace of Religion amongst Christians dilating Christian Religion among the Heathens doth belonge as also where that accursed kind of felicity is found by which no Nation of Infidells hath been conuerted but only the quiet of Christendome in matters aswell of Religion as of ciuill Gouernement peruerted Thirdly this felicity proper vnto the Church is made euident by the Effect to wit by the pious workes godly liberalityes therof shining in the Princes vnto whome the same is granted For as God doth by speciall prouidence honour and enrich these Princes for the benefit of his Church so likewise by secret inspiration he doth infuse acknowledgment heerof into their hart and moueth them to discharge their debt of gratitude towardes him by shewing their liberalityes vnto his Church Thus Cyrus though a Pagan did acknowledge his temporall felicity in being made Monarch of the world from the haÌ„d of the God of Israel 2. Paralip c. 36. v. 23. for the comfort of his banished people whome therfore he set at liberty restored vnto their country and assisted them both with his authority and liberality to rebuild their Temple Who doth not know the reuerence vnto the Church the obedience vnto Bishops the magnificent bounty of erecting euery where Temples vnto Christ that shined in the most mighty and fortunate Christian Emperours as were Constantine Theodosius and Charls all three surnamed the Great Who doth not see the workes of true Christian felicity in our country and of what Religion those Princes were by whom Churches Monasteryes Hospitalls and other workes of Piety with their temporall endowments were founded This then is that kind of Temporall felicity which is to be held a Marke of the Church to wit That wherof Gods miraculous prouidence is the Authour Propagation of Christianity amongst Heathens the end Liberalityes in teÌ„poral workes of Piety the effect Without these respects to make happy Euent a note of the truth or vnlucky successe a signe of falshood what is it but to set Religion on the dyce to expose Conscience vnto chaunce to make Fayth mutable with the wind If the Professors of true ReligioÌ„ cast out of Churches by the piety of their Ancestors built meete to heare Gods word in a priuate chaÌ„ber shall Truth that remaynes for euer Veritas Domini maner in aeternum Psal 136. stand obnoxious vnto the rottenes of the roome must their fayth also fall to the ground and perish with their bodyes if happily the place breake through the weight of the multitudes that thither ouer-zealously flocke Desire of the food of their soule so drawing away their thoughts as they did not aforehand apprehend the daunger of their corporall life God forbid Progidious thinges that did happen at the change from Catholike Religion in England VVIll our Aduersaries themselues be content to haue their Religion put to this triall If they be content things in this kind recorded by their Annales will bring their cause in danger When King Henry the eight had withdrawne himself from the obedience of the Sea of Rome togeather with Schisme though agaynst his will did enter Irreligion towards the most blessed Sacrament reserued in Churches what happened Stow or Howe 's cronicle they shall vnderstand in their owne Croniclers wordes Vpon the 25. of May the rood of S. Margarets Patins by the Tower-street in London was pulled downe and broken in peeces togeather with the Tabernacle And three nights after to wit on the 27. of May was a great fire in the same S. Margarets Parish not farre from the Church the which flre consumed there more then a dozen â—ouses and many persons men and women brent to death Was not this a iudgment did not God presently punish that fact of Heresy with fire the punishment by Christian custome appoynted for that kind of impiety Did not the fire come iust in time to punish that irreligious act hauing giuen them first three dayes to repent according to that decree of the Scripture Esd 10. 8. He that within three dayes shall not come backe to HierusaleÌ„ his whole substance shall be consumed Did not the fire fall right in the place where the sin was committed as if God by sending that fire had sayd vnto them you haue disquieted my Tabernacle violated my house abused my sacred Body left you vnder the forme of bread and would not repent therfore in vengeance therof I now burne your tabernacles fire your houses consume your bodyes into ashes When Queene Elizabeth in the second yeare of her reigne had put Catholiks from all Churches not permitting them so much as one for the Religion that all her Christian Progenitours Kings of England had professed who knowes not what happened vnto the Chiefe the most goodly and glorious of all those Churches presently vpon the very next yeare their Religion being scarse yet warme in the profession thereof An. Reg. 3. On the fourth of Iune sayth the same Annalist betweene foure and fiue of the afternoone the steeple of Paules in London was fired by lightening The fire brast forth as it seemed to the beholders two or three yardes beneath the foote of the Crosse and from thence brent the speere which was of two hundred and sixty foote downe to the stone-worke and bells so terribly that within the space of foure houres the same steeple with the roofe of the Church so much as was timber or otherwise combustible were consumed which was a lamentable sight and pittifull remembrance to the beholders therof Thus he This was the welcome Heauen gaue vnto the new Religion then entring into our Kingdome by fiering vpon them that most magnificent Temple which vnder Catholikes had stood almost a thousand yeares They that vrge the falling of an old chamber as miraculous vengeance sent from heauen vpon Catholike ReligioÌ„ what can they with any shew of probability answere vnto theÌ„ that will presse them with this prodigious lightening fiering which came directly from heaueÌ„ vpon them Specially seeing therwith their Communion-table was also fired though
are not we Ministers at all for we are Ministers of those Ministers Therfore out of the principles of Christian wisedome men should rather heare Catholike then Puritan Preachers The third Proposition Protestants by the principles of their Religion See Iohn White his way pag. 126. Euery particular man must iudge of the Churches teaching are bound to heare Catholike Sermons THis I proue because the Iudge is bound by the law of God and man and light of reason to heare both partyes before be giue sentence for or agaynst eyther and to condemne eyther side vnheard is intolerable wronge But euery particular Protestant and euery one of the common people is a iudge appoynted of God hauing the publick authority of Gods spirit speaking openly vnto all in Scripture wherby he may reproue the greatest and most Catholike Church in the world No priuat iudgment but the publicke censure A priuate man may find fault with the best Church pag. 128. to wit the Roman and may find a fault in the best Church in the world to wit the Protestant as themselues most earnestly teach auerring that this doctrine was neuer denyed by any Church but the Roman that knowing her doctrine to be drosse durst not put herself to this triall Therfore euery particular and priuate Protestant is bound by the law of God and Man Grace and Reason to heare the Roman Church as well as the Protestant The fourth Proposition They that heare not our Sermons but condemne vs vpō trust of their Ministers cānot be saued THis I proue Because they that built vpon the trust and credit of the Protestant Church and passe not to the triall that they may say of their certayne knowledg this is errour this is truth these cannot be saued This is cleere because none is saued without diuine and supernaturall most certayne Fayth Sine Fide impossibile placere Deo Heb. 11.6 Field in his Appēdix p. 2. p. 18. but Protestants themselues acknowledge that Fayth built vpō the authority of their Church is but humane acquisite and fallible seeing the same may erre therfore they that build vpon the trust and credit of their Church cannot be saued But they that heare not the Roman Church condemne her only vpon the trust and credit of the Protestāt for they cānot say vpon their own knowledge that this or that is her doctrine nor consequently that she is in errour Therfore except they heare the Catholike Church her sermons if they can that they may say of their owne knowledge her doctrines are erroneous and theirs the truth Euery particular man must Try all things Iohn Whites way p. 126. they cannot be saued For how can they be saued except they comply with that Precept Try all and hold the best this Precept as Protestants teach being Diuine and such a one as doth concerne euery priuat man Is not the Roman Religion one amongst all Religions that are to be tryed yea the only one amongst them all How then can they be saued that will not try the Roman among the rest that not vpon trust but by their owne triall they may know whether her Doctrine is to be held Wherfore they that reprehend those Protestants for comming to this Sermon are ignorant euē in the first principles of their owne Fayth Hence I inferre that our Aduersaries cannot esteeme of this Accident as a punishment of God if without passion they will pronounce sentence by the principles of their owne Religion supposing which is most certayne that the subiect of the sermon was the duty of Charity to forgiue each other to be ready to giue account vnto God whē we are called out of the world For what was there in that Sermō that God may be thought to haue punished by that fall the Doctrine preached the order to preach it being both his owne If this mischance ought to be taken as a token of Gods vengeance agaynst the doctrine of the Iesuits surely God was singularly offended with that doctrine the Iesuit did actually preach at that very instant when by the fall his breath was stopped which was the doctrine of Charity and Peace O heauenly doctrine and O happy breath that is lost in the preaching therof which was the last sermon and Cygnaean songe as of this Father of the Society of Iesus Hier. in ep ad Gal. l. 3. c. 6. so likewise of the Disciple beloued of Iesus whose life ended whose breath expired in breathing forth this doctrine Loue ech other Hence also appeares the vanity of thē that haue found this farre fecht argumēt agaynst vs. This accidēt say they happened vpon the Papists on the fifth of Nouember stilo nouo therefore it was a punishment of the Treason they intended agaynst vs on the 5. of Nouember stilo veteri First this their arguing is folly because in their comparison or congruence agaynst the rules of Logick they do transire degenere ad genus that is compare things togeather of different kindes stilo nouo stilo veteri being different kindes of computation So that if we take the thing according to the truth and not according to the sound of words the 5. of Nouēber stilo veteri is not the 5. but the 15. of nouēber stilo nouo Secōdly agaynst this vanity groūded vpō words without sense we haue an argumēt inuincible deriued from the first principles of Christianity to wit that God being iust cannot punish men for sinnes they neuer committed but euer detested Now these that fell at this Sermon neuer intended that gunpowder-treason as these accusers bely them nor euer thought therof but with detestation and terrour Therfore certainly God being holy iust did not intend this accident to punish that sinne vpon them Finally what sense or congruence is there in this prouidence for that a sinne commited agaynst Christian Charity many yeares agoe God should now punish men altogeather innocent therof and this in the act of preaching Christian Charity agaynst rancour and malice which doctrine of all other is opposite vnto such execrable vndertakings Some perchance will say that though he preached Charity yet he preached in the Popish fashion that by deedes of charity they merit heauen I do not know if he made mention of merit De Ciuit. l. 2. c. 29. Casta celebritate confluunt vbi audiant quà m bene ad tēpus viuere debeāt vt beató semperque viuere mereantur suppose he did Is the sermon and meeting to be censured in this respect Let these censurers receaue their doome by the mouth of S. Augustine They be sayth he impious they are vngratefull vnto God they are deepely oppressed by the wicked spirit who murmure agaynst the chast celebrity of such meetings where men are taught how they are to liue well for the time in this present world that so they may MERIT to liue blessedly for euer in the next world CHAP. IIII. Comfort from the Ends and Intentions of God in this Accident
this Holy Hoste in which the Emperour was in person with other great Princes of Europe And the Saint wrought many miracles as the healing of diuers that had byn borne blind and lame to shew it was Gods will they should goe They went they were dispersed they were killed they dyed of Famine very few returned backe into their countryes A most sad accideÌ„t and so dreadfull as it filled all Europe with lamentations and teares Why was this done Gods holy purpose heerin was that men by that leauing their friends and country by the pious labour of the iourney Vide ep Bern. 333. by that offering their liues vnto danger for Christian Religion being cleansed and hauing satisfied for their sinnes might in the seruour of their pennance happily dy be eternally saued Some holy meÌ„ that liued in that Age Ioâ—annes Abbas Casaemarij had reuelations wherin whilest the whole Christian world was drowned in sorrow for the dishonour and death of their friendes they saw the Angels exult in heauen and heard them reioyce singe because many of their seates made voyd by the fall of their fellowes were filled agayne with the saued soules of them that dyed in that voyage O how contrary vnto the iudgments of flesh bloud are the courses of God! who to worke the saluation of soules little regards yea laughes at the temporall disgrace ouerthrow and slaughter of a thousand of armyes and no wonder seing in this case he spared not the bloud of his only Sonne What can Christian Piety thinke better of Gods infinite goodnes but that he ordayned this meeting for the saluation and entrance into heauen of many soules at once seing they were afore hand so Religiously prepared for death For that day the most of them were purified by the Sacrament of the Church and all of them afterward sanctified by the preaching of Gods holy Word and the doctrine of Charity which hydeth the multitude of sinnes Prouerb 10.12 1. Pet. 4.8 Isa 6.3 Why then may we not thinke that as their bodyes by the weight of nature fell to the ground so their soules with the Seraphicall winges of Charity which the Sermon gaue them tooke their flight togeather at the same tyme into the bosome of God Illuminatos oculos cordis Eph. 1.18 They that haue the eyes of their Fayth more quicke then their sight of flesh and bloud will easily belieue there was not greater weeping amongst their friendes on earth for their bodyes then was reioycing among the Angels in Heauen for their soules 〈◊〉 the saying of S. Hierome be true and what more true being taken from the mouth of Verity it selfe Hier. ep ad Heliod Luc. 12.37 Beatiserâ—â— quos cum venerit Dominus inuenerit vigilaÌ„tes Happy the â—an whom the LAST HOVRE findes imployed in the Diuine â—eruice Then were these men most happy whom the LAST HOVRE yea moment of life found in the … blest act of the Diuine seruice hearing his holy Word â—ith great content and deuotion of soule As for Protestants that were present it is likely there were few such in hart yet it there were any we may … pe yea we need not doubt of Gods mercy towardes … hem in that moment He endued their harts with the … ght of true Fayth with sorrow for their sinnes with … uall or at least virtuall desire of the Sacraments of the Church and so they found by happy experience the … th of that Diuine promise Isa 45. 1â— Ezec. 18.21 1. Pet. 3. Matth. 24.37 Hier. in qq Hebr. Bellar. l. 4 de Christ c. 11. In whatsoeuer houre the sinner … ene vnto me I will not remember any of his sinnes If many that â—â—â— been incredulous in the dayes of Noe feasting and banquetting i … derision of the Deluge he threatned to come vpon them … en they saw themselues inclosed with inundations of water cryed vnto God and God as soone as they cryed 〈◊〉 pardon sent vpon them the Spirit of his grace heard 〈◊〉 grones and sighs of their pennance notwithstanding 〈◊〉 hydeous roaring of waues may we not with more … son hope of the conuersion of these that came spontaâ—â—ously to this Sermon They were taken not feasting … d banquetting but in an exercise of piety not as they … e deriding but as they were diligent in hearing Gods … y Word and as they were by the power therof mol … ied togeather with others to sorrow for their sinnes Could the cracke of the chaÌ„ber in the fall so drown their grones as they passed not into the eare of Gods mercy Could the dust rubbish so hide their lifting vp of harts and handes for pardon as not to be perceaued by the eye of his goodnes Can we thinke that God that loueth soules brought these men desirous of sauing truth to a Sermon where the same was preached Sap. 11.17 to dye in the very preaching therof but that they should be saued He prouided them a Preacher to sound the word of Saluation to their care shall we thinke his spirit was waÌ„ting to print the same in their hart A Sparow though not worth a farthing falles not to the ground without the heauenly Father Matth. 10.27 and could men desirous of sauing truth for whome Christ dyed fall with the sound therof in their eare without the Heauenly Father working in their soules No no Surely it was for their eternall happines that he conducted them where they should be so Religlously occupyed so deuoutly disposed Eue. 13.30 so penitently affected in that moment on which eternity dependes Comming with the last they were rewarded with the first and they haue proued with the holy Prophet Psal 83.11 that it is a better choyce Abiectus esse in domo Domini quà m habitare in tabernaculis peccatorum To be abiected or cast downe to the ground in the house of God theÌ„ to liue in the Tabernacle of sinners Now to returne vnto the Catholikes slayne some may obiect that they dyed suddainly wheÌ„ they did not think I answere that suddaynes of death is a fauour in them that are prepared as these were In this their death coÌ„curred what is good and to be wished in each kind eyther of suddaine or expected death The good of suddaynes is to be quit of the terrour of expectation of death which many times is more terrible then death it selfe â— longè grauior expectata quà m illata mors Hier. in vita Malchi They that expect death as imminent their good is to be prepared by harty coÌ„trition of sinnes agaynst it the want wherof is the only thing feared in them that are suddainly taken away Now behold the happines of these men they wanted the terrour of the expectation of death but not the piety of preparation for death through the suddaines of the accident wherby they dyed the weakenes of Nature had scarse any time to feele the terrour of death through the