purpose As the name of Christian doth distinguish the Church from Jews Gentiles and Heathens so the name Catholick from falsâ— Prophets and peculiar Sects who glory under the name of Christ and belong not to him And to this purpose said Pacianus my Name is Christian my Sirname Catholickâ— This Name therefore is most deservedly put into the Creed of the Apostles aâ— distinguishing from all Sects and Hereticks and most proper to the true Church Only None therefore can miss of the true Church who follow the Catholickâ— The general name will most certainly inform you her very adversaries being Judges Luk. 19.22 Out of thy mouth I Judge thee O wicked Servant The true Church must be One holy Catholick and Consequently Apostolick THe Fourth and last mark is Apostolick Apostolick shewing the true Church and Religion not taken up at the second hand as many do now a days to be derived from Christ and his Apostles and so to us as an inheritance from our Ancestors by a continual succession of Bishops from the Chayr of Peter to this present Pope and so to continue without â—ayling every One holding Vnion with his Predecessors True Religion no Inveâ—tion of Maâ—â— and keeping still the same Profession of Faith so visibly and apparently that it is like a City upon a Mountain or a Candle on a Candlestick to give light to all in the house of God Whereby it is manifest that it is not the Invention of Man it never being contrary to it self in Doctrin but allwaies running in the same Current of Apostolical Tradition and through this united strength hath out lasted many hundreds of Heresies which though manifestly divided in themselves did ever joyne hands to overthrow this One holy Catholick Apostolick Faith but never found any other Rock then It against which they split themselves And thus we know it to be that kingdom of which Daniel Prophesieth saying Dan. 2.44 And in the Dayes of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed and this kingdom shall not be given to any other people but it shall break and destroy all those kingdoms shall stand for ever Observe therefore I beseech you out of this Mark that those who pretend to be founders of new Religions Reformers or what else they please to be called were once of this Apostolical continued Faith and went out and forsook it and consequently their Doctrin is later or less Antient Math. 14. and for this very reason not good seed but Cockle which the envious Man soweth after For these are the Properties of Hereticks and false teachers to be inventors of new Doctrin to divide and separate themselves to cause dissentions scandals against the Doctrin they had learned The true Faith therefore is Apostolical to be traced up to the Apostles and Christ himself the fountain and author of all truth Now if you desire to know in particular the positive tenents of the true Catholick Faith which I find St. Augustin the Monk of the holy Order of St. Benedict preached and professed who planted the Christian Faith in England above a thousand yeares ago in the yeare 596. in the reign of Elbert otherwise Ethelbert King of Kent who married Queen Bertha of France a Catholick sent by St. Gregary the great theâ— Pope of Rome in that Apostolical Mission Doctor of the Church Monk of the same holy Order who founded seaven Monasteries himself six in Sicilia the 7th in Rome dedicated to St. Andrew of which St. Augustin was Abbot And in very deed searching into Antiquity and the Tradition of the Church by which the Truth infallibly is delivered to us I find the very same Articles plainly to be traced even to Christ himself and his immediate successor St. Peter and so down to us till this day and shall be till the worlds end visible and Apparent which is the sure Footing for every one to tread in They are these contained in the Profession of Faith received by the Church to wit I. N. Do by a firm Faith believe and Profess all every thing contained in the Symbol of Faith which the Holy Roman Church useth viz. I believe in one God the Father Almighty Maker of heaven and Earth and of all things Visible and invisible And in One Lord Jesus Christ the onely begotteâ— Son of God and begotten oâ— his Father before all Agesâ— God of God Light of Lightâ— very God of very God begotten not made Consubstantial to the Father by whom all things were madeâ— who for us men and for ouâ— salvation descended from heaven and was incarnated by the holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and made Man was also crucifyed for us under Pontius Pilat suffered and was buried and rose the third day according to the Scripturesâ— and ascended into Heavenâ— sitteth at the right hand oâ— the Father and shall come again with Glory to judge the quick and the dead of whose Kingdom there shall be no End And in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of â—ife who proceedeth from â—he Father and Son who together with the Father and â—he Son is equally adored and â—onglorified who spake by â—he Prophets And One Hoâ—y Catholick and Apostolick Church I confess one Baptisme for the Remission of â—â—ns and I expect the resurrection of the dead and life â—f the world to come Amen The Apostolical and Ecclesiastical Traditions and the other Observations and Constitutions of the samâ— Church I do most firmly admit and embrace Likewise I admit the Holy Scripture according to that sense which our holy Motheâ— the Catholick Church eveâ— did and doth hold to which it belongs to judge of the truâ— sense and interpretation oâ— the Holy Scriptures neitheâ— will I receive or interpreâ— it but according to thâ— unanimous Consent of thâ— Fathers I profess also that there aâ—â— Seaven true and proper Sacraments of the new Law instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ and necessary to the salvation of Mankind though not all to every particular Person To wit Baptism Confirmation the Eucharist Pen-nance Extream Unction holy Order Matrimony And that they do confer Grace of these that Baptism Confirmation and Order without Sacrilege cannot be reiterated The received and approved rites also of the Catholick Church in the solemn Administration of all the foresaid Sacraments I do receive admit I do embrace and receive all and every one of the Doctrines touching original Sin and Justification which have been defined and declared in the Holy Council of Trent I do in like manner profess that there is a true proper and Propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead offered to God in the Mass by lawful Priests truly ordained And that in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist after Consecration there is truly really and substantially the body and blood together with the soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ And that the whole substance of Bread is converted into
Church is and the Triumphant hath but One governor the Lord God himself So the Militant Church hath but one head and Chief God's Vicegerent and Deputy In the Old Law there was but one High Bishop Osee 2. Cangregabuntur Filii Judae filii Israel pariter ponent sibimet Caput unum The Children of Judah and the Children of Israel likewise shall be gathered together and they shall Place one head over them Even so in the New Law there must be but one Head and Chief fiet unum Ovile Vnus Pastor Joh. 10. And there shall be made one Sheepfold and One Pastor Neither can this be understood of Christ and this time only For Christ after his Ascension into Heaven would not leave the Church without a Guide Joh. 12. Pastor and Head His Flock without a Shepheard And therefore naming Peter his Vicar particularly charged him to Feed his Flock and would have him to Confirm his Brethren as Head Which Christ very plainly expressed saying Luke 21. Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam portae inferi non prevalebunt adversus eam Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it For no power infernal either by Tyrants Hereticks or other instruments of Satan could ever extinguish or overthrow this Church built upon Peter and his Successors And to thee saith ovr Saviour will I give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven c. Neither may it be replyed this Power and Dignity was granted to Peter only and not to this successors For Christ instituted a Church to continue for ever always to be built and Augmented and must therefore have allways a Head or Foundation upon which it may be built Christ surely would not have his Church now in a worse Condition then at that time since the government is allwaies necessary And as Peter was then Christ's Vicar and Pastour of his whole Church So must his Successors necessarily have now the same Power and Authority over the true Church throughout the whole world from which we must receive the true Faith And whosoever dissents and breaks from the Union with this Church and declines the Doctrine thereof forsakes the Truth of Christ leaves the royal high way and runns astray i◠dangerous paths of his own Invention Hence ariseth the great disunion and Confusion amongst Hereticks and their division into sundry sects and Various Opinions by reason of their uncertain Rule of Faith which is their own Understanding and Privat Spirit Whereas the Rule amongst Catholicks and true Believers is most certain and solid to wi◠the Judgment of the Church they having nothing of their own in it And therefore daily experience shews and teaches us our adversaries being not able to deny it that those of the true Church thought of divers Countrys and Kinghoms spread through out the whole world in all times and places yet all agred in the same Doctrine necessary to Salvation as in One Sacrifice One Uniform number and Administration of Sacraments c. The Spouse of Christ the Holy Church hath but One and the same Faith over al◠the world in all times and Places It is worthy observation and the like can never be shewn out of the true Church to see the Unaminous concord and agreement betwixt the holy Doctors of the Church in Faith and Doctrin though they taught in divers Ages and Places St. Gregory S. Augustin St. Ambrose St. Jerom. St. Augustin only and St. Jerom saw each other and were Contemporary And on the Contrary side amongst those out of the Church what Discord and Babylonical Confusion every One following his own spirit Luther Calvin Beza Zuinglius so many heads so many Heresies They are carried on headlong with Giddyness they yield to nothing but Error St. Jude describing in his Epistle such misled People and Hereticks saith Jude 10. But these blaspheam the things they know not and whatsoever they naturally know as beasts without reason in those things they Corrupt themselves And no marvel for as there is but One way to Truth so there are many ways to runn into Error and deceit Let us therefore cleave close to this Rock of Vnity let us not forsake this One Church which hath no division It is like our Saviours garment it must not be divided Our dear Saviour prayed for his Church that it might be One saying Jo 17. Father I Pray not that thou wouldest take them out of this world but that thou keep them from Evil. They are not of the world as I am not of the world Sanctify them with the Truth Thy Word is Truth I sent them into the world and for their sakes I sanctify my self that these also may be sanctified through the Truth I pray not for these alone but for them also who shall believe in me through their word that they also may be One in Vs That the world may believe that thou hast sent me This Prayer of our Saviours was heard and granted and therefore we must be On◠in Faith if we will be of his Church And observe He prayed not only for his onely then present disciples but for them also who should believe through their preaching their successors even to the end of the world that they should continue still One without Division And consider well how our Saviour concluded his Prayer with this strong motive of Unity to belief Even saith he that they may be One in us that the world may beleive that Thou hast sent me You see our Saviours reason why they should be One is that he may be beleived to be sent This Vnity therefore is an unanswerable motive to the true Religion and an assured infallible mark thereof Where therefore Vnity is not there is no true Religion And where it is we may there surely trust our souls and rely on that Faith And as we are One in Faith so shall we be in Glory for such was our Savionrs Prayer in the same place saying Father such as thou hast given me my will is that where I am they may be also with me that the may see my Glory which thou hast given me God therefore grant that through this Vnity we may come to his Glory to which We cannot arrive but by Holiness And therefore 〈…〉 The true Church as it is One so must it also be holy ANd this is another Mark as evident Holyness infallible and certain as the former to wit Holiness which cannot be found out of the true Church For the holy Ghost hath no influence but upon the members of the true Church by their Fruits we shall know them I mean not but there are wicked men misdemeanors amongst the true Beleivers yet so that there are many also most holy and vertuous which is sufficient to shew the Holyness of the Church together with the Doctrin thereof
which is alwaies pure and holy tending to Vertue View and Consider the Tenets and practises of Both true and false and then judge The Religion which is true and holy is that WHich hath Calendars full of approved Known Saints of all Ages and Professions A kallendar of 〈◊〉 approved known Saints whose Sanctity none dare or can justly oppose That which hath wrought evident and true miracles in all Ages from the beginning till this hour True Miracles and shall work upon occasion to the Consummation of the Saints That which hath converted all nations to the Faith of Christ from Judaisme All Nations Converted c. Idolatry Heathenisme c. and whose teachers and Professors have been of known sanctity and holy Life To name One for all St. Augustin our Apostle of the holy Order of St. Bennet who converted England to the Faith of Christ from blind Idolatry and Heathenisme Sent by St. Gregory the great then Pope of Rome of the same holy Order That which hath built all the Churches Churches Monasteries Nunneries Hospitals built c. Monasteries Nunneries Colledges Hospitals c. in Christandom endowed them with rents instituted the Universities distinguished the Multitude into Parishes proportioned the Tyths annexed the glebe Land ordayned the Bishoppricks lymitted the Diocesses and decree'd the Ecclesiastical Lawes so full of learning and Piety that they are now all good and learned Mens Studyes besides infinite other good Works of all sorts That which from the Flower of her Infancy the Apostles themselves being such ever had still hath Religious Orders and ever shall have infinit Multitudes of Beleivers of either sex professing Poverty Chastity and Obedience the three cheif Evangelical Counsels so highly commended and practised by Antiquity not onely as Sonveraigne divine helps to perfection but also as Beautiful Ornaments to Christs Church raysing the Professors to a supream degree of Grace and glory Witnessed and sealed with the Blood of holy Martyrs and Confirmed by Miracles That which hath been testified and sealed with the blood and sufferings of such Martyrs and Confessors as are allowed by the adversaries thereof and all Points and Articles of her holy Doctrine confirmed by most authentical and approved Miracles which no other Contrary Religion ever was or shall be able to do sufficient to convince the whole World if they were not extreamly blind and perversly Obstinate That which hath instituted the Feasts Fastingdays and feasts Holy Rites and wholesom Ceremonys Fasting dayes and all good Ceremonies and Observations used through out the the whole Church As Christmas Easter Ascension Whitsontide Corpus Christi the Vigils and Feasts of the Apostles and other Saints the fast of Lent Emberdays Abstinence from flesh On Frydaies and Saturdads very wholsome commodious even to Common Wealths and private Families Rites likewise and sacred Forms and Ceremonies observed in administring the Sacraments Consecrations Coronations instalments and all other solemnities which carry with them Veneration State and decency That which professeth not the large The Narrow way of Morification and Penance and Broadway but the straight and narrow such as the holy writ affirms to be the way to Heaven as Annual Confession to a Priest Pennance Restitution Satisfaction performance of Vows Mortification of the old Man and the like injunctions observed by none but those of the true Religion Libertinisme being the sole Profession and the very soul of all Sectaries in One kind or Other That unto whose society whosoever truly enters Change of Manners upon Conversion lives forthwith in more feare and love of God hatred to sin and changes his former life into a better That which most hath The most learned holy and able Men. and in former Ages ever had and ever shall have the most Famous Men for wit Judgment reading writing true schollership and solid Vertue Qualityes of all Other most likely to discern and abandon errors to her Teachers Doctors and instructers That which hath excelled in spirituallity True spirituallity and whose beleivers have interiourly Conversed with God in a most experimental and Ineffable way and thereby satisfied their Propension not possible to be satisfied out of the true Faith and Religion and have chosen the best part never to be taken from them And this is most evident by many Admirable Books written by the Practisers of this spirituality and professors of this only true and holy Religion That whose publick Church-service is performed Publick Church Service and executed with that Reverence Venerable gravity Majesty And the several parts and ceremonies so admirably and aptly composed and ordered for annual Commemorations and representing of our Saviours Incarnation Birth life Passion Burial Resurection Ascension Coming af the Holy Ghost the institution of the blessed Sacrament of the Altar and other passages aswel of Christ our head as of his Members the Saints That whose Secular The single â—ife of the Clergy Secular and Regular and regular Clergy live without wives free from Care of providing for Wife and Children and the second sort no way distracted with Affairs and incumbrances of the World but Cloistred unles some of the more Able and Vertuous be through special want and to Gods greater Glory called to Episcopal Sees and other employments in the Church pass their whole time in Prayer watching Fasting Continual study of Scriptures with daily Conferences for the full and perfect Understanding of them Add to this that all their Priests and beneficed Clergy are bound to say every day an Office in their Breviary â—ound to say â—â—e Breviary A Book of that Excellency that none but the Spirit of God could have composed it and which alone is sufficient to make them Devout and learned That finally though there be many other motives of Holiness in this true Church which by reason of her Holy Doctrin Royal Loyal and divine Obedience subjection to all Power Civil and Spiritual and Ordinances keeps all subjects in due allegiance to their Temporal Kings and Princes and to all power spiritually constituted over them And hath evermore blessed Popes Bishops Abbots Superiors Kings and Princes Magistrates and Subjects with Constant and permanent Peace true Happiness Prosperity and Victorys true Glory temporal and Eternal together with unfeigned Love One to another neighbourly and just Commerce And in a word so that all things go on with Order Love Justice and Peace Now as the true Church and Religion hath these glorious fruits and evident Effects So have all Heresies and Sects the clear Contrary Foul and monstrous Fruits and Effects And most apparently abominable to all who are not wilfully blind and perversly Obstinate Consider then on the Contrary side how the False Church and Religion is That which is void of Saints A Calendar of Hipocritical ridiculous Saints Foxes Acts and monuments sufficiently witness and hath no other but vile hypocrites such as after some time even those of the