all the world is a most insolent madness You have don this in siding with the XXXIX Articles and opposing your selfe to the four Saints Doctors of the Church and to generall Counsells and to the sence of the Church and its diffinitions and determinations wherfore sitt downe and consider well if a kinde of madness hath not ceasd upon you Gentle Reader you see these ancient Fathers and Doctors tells us clearly that Sall hath deviated from the right way of settling himselfe in true Religion the ready and sure way when hee began to doubt was not in reading many Authors when one Contradicts and impugnes the other nor of making notes of that kinde hee speaks of in his Recantation for it is more easy to gather doubts then dissolve or resolve them it is more easy to rays up dust then to lay it downe againe the certaine and infallible way of searching true Religion and setling therin without all fluctuation and danger is that a man leave his owne Iudgment and rely upon the Authority of the Universall vissible Christian Church what privat man or Doctor bee hee ever soe well learned or holy is soe wise as the whole Congregation of the Church as is commaunded by Christ himselfe I meane a Church descending from age to age from the Apostles For a publick Direction in this to all who are troubled about any dark question in matters of Faith Saint Augustin gives a good Counsell to Sall and all men the same hee gave to Cresconius Quisquis August Lib. 1. contra Crescon cap. 33. said hee falli metuit hujus obscuritate questionis Ecclesiam de ea consulaet That is Who soever feareth to be deceived by the obscurity of this question wherabout wee two doe contend let him goe and aske the Church therof Saint Augustin must needs meane the Governours and the chief Pastors of the Church Wee are to keep herein to the found Rule of ould Tertulian which if wee doe wee will not be deceived in Theorems and Articles of believing Caeterum Terrul depraescript cap. 28. said hee quod apud multos unum invenitur non est Erratum sed Traditum audeat ergo aliquis dicere illos Errasse qui Tradiderunt That is That which is found one and the same with many is not an error but a Doctrin delivered from hand to hand and who will dare say those have erred that delivered this Doctrin Sall look upon the Succession of Pastors in the Church from age to age downe from the Apostles and your work is surely done for in that Church you have true Faith for defect of such Succession Tertullian provoked the Hereticks to prove theire descent Edant said hee Heretici origines Ecclesiarum suarum evoluant totum ordinem Eptscoporum suorum per Successionem ab initio decurrentem ut primus Epsicopus aliquem ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis viris qui tamen cum Apostolis perseveraverit babuerit Authorem Antecessorem Had Sall examined the English Church according to this sure Rule of Tertulian hee had neuer taken up a place among them Having said soe much of these four great Doctors of the Church and theire Vertues let us now see what kinde of men were the new Doctors Sall hath closed with for comparing their lives and manners with one another wee shall according to that of the Philosopher unum quodque magis apparet contrario juxta si posito bee the better able to Iudge who were the true Dostors chosen by God to teach the Doctrin of Salvation who knows light knows darkness quia eadem est potentia cognoscitiva oppossitorum unde visus qui cognoscit lucem cognoscit tenebras Let us therfore examin a little the Doctrin lives and manners of the new men Sall hath chosen for his Doctors and Masters VI. CHAPTER Of the Doctrin and manners of Luther and some other principall Hereticks THe Discription of theire Lives and Proceedings who for an age and more under a faire pretence of Reformation have impugned our ancient and long before continued and universally professed Catholick Faith alas in many Provinces and Regions they have almost extinguished it will be a necessary Instruction to shun such men and abominate theire Doctrin and to contract noe kinde of amity with theire Desciples and followers God hath ever more out of his Devine and sweet Providence chosen for Reformation of his Church when decay'd in Disciplin or Doctrin men in theire lives not dissolute or licensious but auster and sanctifyed such were Moyses Elias and many of the old Patriarcks and Prophets such the Apostles and after them many Bishops and Apostolicall men all those brought in Faith and chased out Idolatry by Vertue Sanctity and Miracles Take great heed saieth our saviour of false Prophets c. And againet doe men gather grapes from Thornes or Matth. cap. 7. figgs of Thistels Certainly Sall you could not gather grapes from those Thornes nor figgs from those Thistels you are falne in love with they were other kind of men that God us'd to assume for sowing the seed of heavenly Doctrin and teaching the Devine lesson of Salvation hee said not to Plagitious wanton Moncks and Priestes running away with nunns and wenches such as your new Apostles and Doctors were Euntes ergo docete emnes gentes Baptizantes eos in Nomine Patris Matt. cap. 28. Filii Spiritu Sansti docentes eos servare omnia quaecunque mandavi vobis ecce ego vobisoum sum omnibus diebus usque ad consumationem seculi That is Going therefore teach ye all nations Baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost teaching them to serve all things whatsoever I have commaunded you and behold I am with you all days even to the consumation of the World These words our saviour spake to the eleven Deciples in the mount holy and sanctify'd men chosen by God to enlight and sanctify the World This charge of converting Soules requires in its owne Nature by all means men of Vertue and Integrity Quiae Sancta Sanctè tractanda a Sanctis If those great reformers which keep agreat noys in the world they vapor much of a justifying faith but of good works they have noe care quite against Saint Pauls sentiment Who would have that they which believe be carefull to excell Epist ad Tit. cap. 3. in good works If those reformers I say have bin vertuous and mortifyd men wee here are to examin and shall begin with Luther the Father of Protestanisme and principall Doctor of the Church of England who is most highly praised and esteemed generally by Lutherans and Calvinists through all the Provinces and Countryes they have infected they all reverenced Luther as being sent by God as the light of the Ghospell and Doctrin Evangelicall Bishop Iewell a chief pillar of Protestanisme in Iewell in his defence of the Apolog. printed 1571. MrFox Act. and Mon. printed 1563.
Faith that was not soe before nor likwise make any Proposition Hereticall that was not soe before but only defines that Proposition to be of Faith that is and was ever soe and condemns that for an Heresie that is and was soe Nor are Articles of Faith as Sall affirms repugnant to human reason but transcending human reason as Saint Thomas teacheth Fidem non esse contra sensum sed esse de eo ad quod sensus non attingit much less is Faith repugnant to reason a nobler faculty then that of sence yet for all this wee may not say that reason can comprehend an Article of Faith Will you beleeve nothing Sall but what you can comprehend and as it were demonstrat by human reason and discourse This is not Faith but Science The silliest Catholick old woeman in your Country will tell you that in beleeving you must take Faith and leave reason And Saint Augâ—stin saith the same as thus S. Aug. lib. de utilitatâ— credendâ— Quod inteligimus debemus rationi quod credimus Authoritati Had you ankored your selfe Sall upon the Authority of the Church as most eminent Schoolmen of our side doe you had not fallne into Heresie but you presumed to much on your owne witt and wanted humility and necessary vertue Saint Augnstin reprehends such kinde of men as would circumscribe matters of Faith within the sphere of reason and discourse in these words Eccè qualibus Argumentis omnipotentiae Dei humana contradicit infirmitas quam possidet vanitas That is Behold with what kinde of Arguments doth human weakness mastered by vanity contradict the omnipotent power of God The Paulin difinition of Faith the most perfect of all diffinitions doth clearly demonstrate that the force of reason cannot comprehend Articles of Faith Illa particula Argumentum non aparentium clarè significat objectum fidei esse rem non visam cui firmiter adhaeret intellectus non ex rei evidentia sed ex auctoritate divina per illam particulam non apparentium distinguitur fides a Scientia intellestu per quem aliquid fit apparens That is The Argument of things not appearing doth clearly signify the object of Faith to be a thing not seen to which the understanding doth adhere not for the Evidence of the thing but for the devine Authority revealing it and by that particle of things not appearing Faith is distinguished from Science and understanding of objects by which a thing is made apearing This is the Opinion of Nicholas de Lira and others It is alsoe the Opinion of Devines commonly Visum non esse objectum fidei S. Tho. 1. 2. qs 67. S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 1. a. 4 And Saint Thomas saith elswher Quod nihil est objectum fidei nisi sub ratione non apparentis XVIII CHAPTER The Doctrin of Transubstantiation defended against Sall a new Protestant THere is noe Protestant soe maddly obstinate as to give God the lye to his face and in plaine tearms to say though hee did know God did reveale the Doctrin of Transubstantiation as the Church of Rome doth propose and maintaine it I would not beleeve it noe all Protestants acknowledg and generally all Hereticks God to bee truth it selfe and not able to deceive or bee deceived The obstinacy therfore of Protestants against Gods verityes is not as they are uttered immediatly by himselfe but as they are proposed by his Church as in the point of Transubstantiation Sall become lately a Protestant doth not beleeve the Catholick Church proposing that Doctrin as revealed by God but says it is not warranted by devine writt the same hee says of Indulgences Purgatory worship of Images c. but introduced and made an Article of faith by the use and Authority of the Roman Church Against cleare evidence there can be noe obstinacy the object of it must be involved in some obscurity otherwise the will which is the source of obstinacy would not bee able to master the understanding There is nothing more cleare and evident to the understanding then this proposition If God said or revealed any thing it s very true The obstinacy therfore of Hereticks doth not contest with this cleare and confessed truth It only doubts or denyes that God said or revealed any such thing as the Church pretends By this it appears in what Sall and I doe differ about Transubstantiation for hee doth not beleeve the Church proposing and defyning the Doctrin therof as revealed by God The Heretick beleeves what the Church proposeth as revealed only conditionally if God reveal'd it reserving to his owne privat Iudgment or to that of his privat Patriarks Luther Zwinglius Calvin c. this determination but the Catholick Absolutly and doubts not but God revealed what the Church proposeth as revealed submitting his Iudgment in matters of Faith to what soever the Church doth define or declare This is the case of Hereticks They protest if they had thought or beleeved that the Doctrin of the Roman Church in controverted points were revealed by God they would hartily imbrace it but they doe not consider this very if or doubt is Heresie for they have noe reason to doubt but that the Roman Catholick Church hath Commission and power of defining and declaring what is revealed by God seeing it hath the evident signes of a true Church as Miracles Sanctity of Doctrin and Life continuall Succession from the Apostles to the present age both of Pastors and Doctrin These signes may be easily perceived and knowne by all people as Clownes Souldiers and other illiterate persons let them examin the Histories of theire owne Countryes and the Religion of theire Ancesters which soever amongst all the Christians Churches had and hath the aforesaid signes that Church must be heard obeyed and beleeved as having Gods Authority and Commission to deside all doubts and Controversies of Faith who soever beleeves not her diffinitions and obeys not her decrees and Canons in points of Faith is an obstinat Heretick and such is Sall having deserted and condemned this Church But Sall tells us the Doctrin of Transubstantiation is a novelty not found in Scripture but brought into the Church by the Councell of Lateran anno 1215. This is a great mistake in Sall The very condemning of Berengarius as an Heretick for impugning Transubstantiation anno 1050 which was before the Councell of Lateran 165. years proves it was noe novelty but an Article of Faith before that Councell There were present at this Counsell the Emperors Roman and Greek and of the Kings of France Spaine England Hierusalem and Cyperus their Ambassadors euen from the Apostles tymes For otherwise I pray you how were it possible that the Patriarks of Hierusalem and Constantinople 70. Metropolitans 400. Bishops and 800. Conventuall Pryours who were all present at that great Counsell should all agree in declaring Transubstantiation to have been revealed by God to the primitive Church how can this agree with what Sall affirms
may not returne voyd Let not deare Sall all my paines and the expressions of my good affection bee lost by an obduration in you look to it my frind while there is tyme of Consideration having noe less at stake then an Eternity of Salvation and Glory or of Flames and Damnation if after all my ernest requests and harty Prayers you will not think of Returning to Hierusalem but willfully stay in Babilon I can but say with a lamenting Soule Perditio tua exâ—te Israâ—l denying to joyne your will with Gods Grace Peribis in Aeternum For Saint Augustin tells you Qui creavit te sine te non salvabit tâ— sine te creaâ—it nescientem salvabit volentem Hee that has created thee with out thee will not save thee with out thee hee created thee with out thy knowledge but will save thee with thy will One word more and then adue untill wee shall appeare before the great Iudge of all at the last day in old English dooms-day what word say you This only that I conjure you by all that is holy and pretious on earth and in heaven I conjure you I say in the name and in the behalfe of the Almighty that your great and only care in this life bee when the Angell of God shall come to kill the Aegyptians by Exod. cap. 112. night darke night of theire Iniquityes that lie finde in thy house the marke of Pardon the Bloud of the lamb Iesus sprinkled on the Postes of the Doore of thy Soule which cannot be unless you are then found a true professor of the Holy Roman Cathoclick Apostolick Faith without this marke the Angell will destroy you with th' Aegyptians muse deeply on this Important point and ever think with feare and teares to what eternity the last moment of life shall deliver thy soule O praetiosum Momentum ô Aeternitas ô Momentum a quo pendet Aeternitas ô Deare Iesus redeemer of the world have mercy on Sall that hath a bandoned verity and Santity and bring him home againe and have mercy on mee poore sinner now praying for him Amen Fugam scelestam pudendam Andreae Sall ex castris Israël ad papiliones Phylisthijm palam justè redargutam Deo Auspice finivimus 12. die Martii Anno 1675. divo Gregorio P. M Sanctae Ecclesiae Doctori Sacro omnia quae Scripsimus indubitato Sanctae Matris Ecclesiae Oraculo submittentes Ut Scripta omnibus prosint summopere cupimus Catholicis ad fidem constanter servandam Heterodoxis ad eam faeliciter Amplectendam Ad Majorem D. O. M. Gloriam THE TABLE Of the Chapters and Advertisments contayned in this Book are as followeth SAll's Recantation The Author to the Reader I. Chap. A Distribution of the contents of this worke in 8. principall points pag. 1 1. VVhat drew Sall out of Gods House 2. VVhat guide led him the way 3. Having forsaken the Catholick Religion what Religion is hee become of 4. VVho are the Doctors hee hath parted with and who they hee hath now embraced 5. VVhat Company hath hee forsaken and who are they hee sticks unto 6. A discussion upon some principall parts of the Recantation 7. Certaine Advertisments to said Sall. 8. The Authors harty Exhortation unto him for his speedy returning to his Mother the Roman Catholick Church II. Chap. VVhat drew Sall out of Gods House pag. 8 The Tytle of Mr. VVhites Booke Schismatis Anglicani Redurgutio c. pag. 13 III. Chap. VVhat guide led Sall out of the House of God pag. 16 IV. Chap. Of what Religion is Sall become having forsaken the Catholick Religion pag. 25 V. Chap. Answer to the fourth Quaere pag. 46 VI. Chap. Of the Doctrin and manners of Luther and some other principall Hereticks pag. 79 VII Chap. Of Luthers Doctrin pag. 84 VIII Chap. Of Luthers Pride and contempt of the Fathers and belying them pag. 98 IX Chap. Of Luthers Incontinency pag. 106 X. VVhat frutes followed Luthers Doctrin and Reformation pag. 116 XI Chap. Of Calvins Doctrin his Calumnyes against Catholicks and of his life and Conversation pag. 123 Certaine Calumnyes of Calvin against the Fathers and other Catholicks pag. 138 Of Calvins Life and Conversation pag. 141 XII Of Beza's Doctrin and Conversation pag. 141 XIII Chap. A Brief Relation of the manners and Conversation of others of the Protestant Religion and pretended Reformers of the Church whose names are as followeth pag. 159 Of Zwinglius pag. 159 Phillip Melankton pag. 161 Jacobus Andreas otherwise named Smedelinus pag. 162 Carolostadius pag. 163 John Knox. pag. 164 Oecolumpadius pag. 166 Christopher Goodman pa. 167 XIV Chap. A Narration of the English Religion and Reformers in King Edward the 6'th Raigne pag. 169 VVho the Contrivers of the XXXIX Articles and first reformers of Protestant Religion pag. 172 XV. Chap. Sall if hee mindes his Salvation should not stay in a Church wherin Murtherers Traytors Hereticks Theeves Negromansers and other Mallefactors are canonized for Saints pag. 186 XVI Chap. The fift Quaere what Company hath Sall forsaken and who are they hee now sticks unto pag. 218 Hereticks in the Law of Nature pag. 222 Hereticks in the written Law pag. 224 Hereticks in the Evangelicall Law pag. 225 XVII Chap. A Discussion of some parts of Sall's Recantation pag. 231 XVIII Chap. The Doctrin of Transubstantiation defended against Sall a new Protestant p. 240 XIX Chap. The Ruthenian and Greek Church and the Armenians hold the same in the Article of Transubstantiation as the Roman Catholicks doe pag. 263 Testimonium seu professio quorundam Articulorum apud Nationem Surianam pag. 267 Ita nos Testamur die 29. Februarii Anno 1668. pag. 269 The Greek and Ruthenians Church Armenians and others agree in more points of Religion with the Romans then with the Protestants of the English Church pag. 271 XX. Chap. Miracles are true and cleare marks of a true Religion and the power of working them hath been given to the true Church and remains therin pag. 275 XXI Chap. Of undeniable Miracles proving the Faith and Sanctity of the true Church pag. 284 XXII Chap. Six Miracles confirming the Doctrin of the Catholick Church touching Transubstantiation and the Adoration in the Sacrament pag. 294 Saint Bernards Miracles pa. 298 Two other excellent Miracles of S. Bernard the one in Millane the other in Aquitaine pag. 301 XXIII Chap. Certaine Advertisments to said Sall first Hereticks are knowne by certaine Marks pag. 310 Le Tombeau des Heretiques pag. 312 The second Advertisment Cleare places of Scripture in many points controverted make for the Catholicks pag. 320 The third Advertisments A dissention in fundamentall points and Articles being betvveen Protestants they must hold one another for Hereticks Ergò Sall if hee mindes his Salvation vvill part from that Church pag. 329 The 4'th Advertisment Learned Protestants of the Church of England doe confess that English and Irish Pagans venerable Beda called them Slaves of Idols vvere converted to Christian Fáith by men sent from the Popes of Rome holy men that vvrought Miracles in those Conversions pag. 364 The fift Advertisment â— offer here certaine learned Catholick Anthors to be perused by Sall likely they came not all of them in his vvay pag. 381 The 6'th Advertisment Three vveighty points offered to be considered by Sall. pag. 388 The 7'th and last Advertisment Olim Possideo Prior Possideo The Roman Catholicks strong defence against the claime of all kind of Hereticks and theire Attempts pag. 397 XXIV Chap. Containing a firvent Exhortation to straying Sall for a tymly returning to his Holy Mother the Roman Catholick Church that there may be joy in heaven upon a sinner doeing Pennance pag. 416 FINIS ERRATA Pag. Lin. Faults Corrected 3 15 the thee 11 18 are are 25 14 pestiperous pestiferous 35 10 nequo neque 35 14 quam cum 35 18 Iesus Iesu 38 23 motius motives 39 8 Latanys Letanyes 40 21 motius motives 48 10 vertute virtute 48 12 vetteris veteris 66  commoderit commederit 78 19 si se 105 21 dispilefull dispitefull 105 24 care are 109 1 usith vvith 124 11 compaesant composant 125 21 nonquid nunquid 130 22 origenalâ— originalâ— 131 1 hier here 132 25 the thee 160 18 hierof hereof 160 22 Sangunem Sanguinem 166 2 malum mulum 178 14 ane and 180 22 vvicked vvicked 180 23 marters matters 191 14 prosteritas posteritas 197 24 sith fift 196 11 leage liege 202 20 vvare vvere 204 17 saire faire 228 6 inquivamenta inquinamentae 232 1 mought might 234 10 altquid aliquid 237 25 inteligimus intelligemus 239 2 intellestu intellectu 252 14 hodte hodie 268 5 nostri nostrae 273 2 Armneians Armenians 275 4 ttue true 296 18 Emperoor Emperour 316 8 beld held 347 20 contrary contrary 361 19 declated declared 371 4 Magdeburgenfes Magdeburgenses 371 15 felfe selfe 380 16 vvife vvise 394 3 patted parted 407 21 Keligion Religion
wheat in his Barnflower out of which Sall like light chaff of pride thou hast flowen away wanting the weight of fortitude in thy faith Look well about you straying lost man and consider what you have done you have fled away from the Camp of Israel to the tents of Philistim you have stayned as much as in you lay the fame and renowne of the Order of the Society of Jesus you are the first of that Order of our Country that ever fell you have defamed your Nation you have poluted the â—and of Saints qua hactenus carebal Monstris But such sliders back and Apostata's as you and latly som others will make our holy I land an Africa you have in this your Apostacy dispised the power of Allmighty God you have belyed his truth you have againe Crucify'd Jâ—sus the Angells you have made angry the Saints you have dishonoured and men you have offended and scandalized Dic crgo mihi jam Sall hominum miserri me si non feceris scelera multa in domo Dei But whither glorying and boasting in that which is your shame your Apostacy soe runs the rumor of you whither will you turne your face where will you hide your selfe from the wrath of God where can you finde an azile of safty who will defend you who will take your part in the day of Extremity you are become for which my hart is much grived ludâ—brium fabula in gâ—ntibus Doe not say my words are bitter it is your great sinn against heaven makes mee bitter and to quarrell with you for my custome hath beene all my life pacem habere cum hominibus cum vitiis bellum I follow S. Augustins Rule Diligere homines interficere errores naturam amarâ— culpam odio habere quia ea faedatur natura quam homines amamus Soe that my Anger against you at present is piety and shall pray to be soe understood in this whole tract or confutation of your flight from the Catholick side for how can I be longer a frind to him that is becom a declared Enemy to God and his Angells by a publick Abjuration of holy faith In the first place the manner of of abjuring your Religion under the Tytle of a Recantion c. is vile and infamous could not you have performed this ungodly bussiness in that Arch-Bishops Chamber a work of darkness should have been Smoothered in silence and darkness noe but you must have used a solemnity in facie Ecclesiae Protestanticâ— ro have many wittnesses of your Ignominys would any man become bankroote a great infamy to a Marchant Publish his minde to the world If an incontinent woeman should put out in the Market-place a Declaration that shee was to make sale of her body soule and honour would not all of that sex cry upon her a shame upon the strumpet cauté si non casté This much to the Tytle of what Sall hath done now to what was done the Uggly Abjuration wherof much is to be said and spoken 1. What drew Sall out of Gods House 2. What guid led him the way 3. Having forsaken the Catholick Religion what Religion is hee become of 4. Who are the Doctors hee hath parted with and who they hee hath now embraced 5. What Company hath hee forsaken and who are they hee sticks unto 6. A discussion upon some principall parts of the Recantation 7. Certaine advertisments to said Sall. 8. The Authors harty Exhortation unto him for his speedy returning to his Mother the Roman Catholick Apostolick Church Those poynts I will handle as briefly as the Importance Of the matter will require and shall indevour by Gods blessing to give the pious and indifferent Reader all rationall satisfaction II. CHAPTFR TO the first query What drew Sall Ad primum out of Gods House Hee answers for himselfe that hee determined this change on a serious examen and ponderation hee had made upon the XXXIX Articles of the Confession of the Church of England for the safty hee found in them for salvation heare himselfe speak in his Recantation After ernest prayer saith hee to God for the assistance of his Devine light in soe weighty a matter I pen'd downe for better consideration the reasons I did heare read and conceive against the Romish tenets controverted I did alsoe carfully peruse and seriously reflect upon the XXXIX Articles Canons and Lithurgie of the Church of England to be safer for my salvation then that of the Roman Church You see gentle Reader this man pretended feare of his salvation if hee remained in the Catholick Communion and past to that of the Protestant Religion for the Devine Doctrine and satisfaction hee found as hee says in the XXXIX Articles of the English Confession Truly Sall I took you for a better Devine then to have changed soe rashly and unlearnedly the party you professed formerly to be of for any light truth or sanctity could be found in said XXXIX Articles I meane those of them different from the Catholck Religion One of these Articles vigesimus secundus Cui titulus est de Purgatorio runns thus Romana Doctrina de Purgatorio Indulgentiis Veneratione Adoraâ—ione taem Imaginum quam Reliquiarum ut de invocatione Sanctorum est absurda inaniter inventa nec ulla Scripturae authoritate nititur sed potius Dei verbâ— repugnat That is to say The Roman Doctrine of Purgatory Indulgences Veneration and Adoration as well of Images as of Reliques as alsoe of the Invocation of Saints is absurd and vainly invented nor is it grounded upon any Authority of Scripture but is rather repugnant to the Word of God Sall this is a false prophane hereticall Article of thy new Chosen faith Wheras the Worship of Images and Relicks wee Catholicks doe Worship but not adore Images and Reliques The Doctrin of Purgatory Indulgences and the Invocation of Saints is warranted by Scripture and Apostolicall Tradition and hath beene from age to age from the very tyme of the Apostles maintained taught and defended by ancient Fathers and Doctors Nominatim the foure most famous of the Church Gregory Ambros Augustin and Jerom as alsoe by the generall Councells and the continual practice and use of the holy Church and those who opposed themselves to those tenets and to the Doctrin derived touching them have beene condemned in all tymes as Hereticks Ergo this Article you Imbrace for a Theoreme and principle of faith for soe it is in the English Church is an heresy and you an heretick and soe I must esteem you to be If it were my purpose to sift and examine one by one such of these XXXIX Articles as ars different from the Catholick Doctrine I should not be in great trouble to prove them to be what indeed they are false and hereticall but that is done to my hand by a pious learned person bred in the Protestant Religion and for a long tyme a zealous defender of said XXXIX Articles
but after a long and due Examination of the substancâ— of them hee refuted them soe substantially as to this day noe man of the Church of England hath answer'd him I observe in this place that this Gentleman spent a great deale of tyme in deliberation about seaven years before Adjuring said XXXIX Articles which hee once believed as you doe now Sall as Articles of faith which belief and Doctrin hee suckt from his Cradle much more tyme I say hee had bestow'd and deliberation in quitting them then you have done in deserting the Catholick Religion and its holy Communion in which you were bred and your parents before you which can not be spoken but to your shame and infamy The light and grace God gave to Mr. White the Gentleman I speake of led him out of Babilon in to Ierusalem and you without great musing on the weightiest matter can ever concerne you the damnation or salvation of your soule are fled from Ierusalem to Babilon The Tytle of Mr. Whites Book Schismatis Anglicani redargutio Authore Alexandro VVhite ex eodem Schismate per Dei gratiam ad fidem Catholicam Converso Viro qui coripientem dura cervice contemnet repentinus ei superreniet interitus cam Sanitas non sequetur Proverb cap. 29. Lovani typis Jeronimi Nempaei 1661. This Book Sall if you have it not allready you will finde with som of the Priestes there Such is my opinion and of the Devines of my side of the sound substance of this Book and the Reasons and Arguments and Authoritys of Scripture Apostolicall Tradition Counsells and Fathers hee produceth that I presume without all vanity to give a Challenge on the behalfe of Verity and the Roman Catholick Church to you and to the Protestant Arch-Bishop of Cashell I say I give a Challeng to you both and all that Profess the XXXIX Articles in the three Kingdoms to make answer to this Book This is not a Thrasonical defiance such as Mr. Iewell Bell and others Protestant Divines made to all the Catholicks in the world of disputing with them about Religion but the place of disputing must have beene in England they being sure the state would not allow therof this Challenge is only for answering this Book wherin Mr. White hath distroy'd the Babell tower of your XXXIX Articles which you will neuer build up againe This mans Arck hath cast downe your Dagon hee hath impeached your new English Creed the XXXIX Articles af a treason against heaven and verity I pray you Sall if you have any memory as yet left of mee peruse seriously sedato animo this learned Book one of two effects it will have that either it will convert you or confound you Now if your Arch-Bishop and you and the rest of your Devines shall refuse this Challeng doe not vapour hereafter of the light Doctrin and Sanctity of your XXXIX Articles nor of your owne maistership in Devinity for 18. years in Spaine My Reader you have heard Sall tell why hee went out of the Catholick Church But S. Augustin gives another kinde of answer wherfore such men goe a way from us Habent says the Saint calumnias suas August Tom. 8. in Psal 118. Conseioâ— 26. 1 Haeretici habent Scismaâ—ici quos omnes superbia de membrorum Christi compage proecidit When men begin highly to prise their owne learning and to censure and contemne the Doctors of Holy Church generall Councells and even the high Priest himselfe the Pope in matters of Religion as Sall hath now done and to interpret Scriptures according to their owne braine and fancy then swelling with vanity they break out of the pales of the Church Nature is strong in such kinde of men and grace weak and soe they easily fall into sinn Quia quod Creatura peccare non possit habet ex bono gratiae non ex conditione nature Poore Sall this presumption hath pulled you out of the Temple yea periit ipse Angelus superbia tumidus propria potestatis delectatione corruptus this hath beene and is your disease Smoth the matter the best you can pride will be found one of the greatest motives of your departure from us III. CHAPTER VVHat Guid led Sall out of the Ad secundum House of God it was likly the privat Spiritt of Protestanisme a kinde of Serpent that with hissing whispers infects the brains of curious men this spirit hath much helpt to loose the man Doctor Whitaker esteemed agreat Devine in the English Church defines this private spiritt to be an inward In Contro 1. q. 5. C. 3. contrae Bellarum perswation of the truth from the Holy Ghost in the secret Closset of the believers hart Sall with this deceiving guid you made your fatall Transmigration from our side I would faigne know where in Scripture or the ancient Fathers did Whitaker finde a ground for such a definition of his privat Spirit hee found it noe where and therfore likly hee made it in a dream This Spiritt hath not been knowne to the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church for full fiftien ages they heard nothing of it nor doe any of us claime it it is only a priviledg of your Church a pleasant Imagination that makes your people madd Exempli Gratia A Protestant with whome I conferred about Religion som years past told mee in plaine termes hee needed noe light or assistance from Saint Augustin or Saint Paul himselfe for to understand Scripturs being certaine Iesus who redeemed his soule would have a care that hee should not err in expounding of Scripture or any thing that touched his salvation I demaunded from him could hee prove by Scripture hee had that infaliable spirit or sacred light hee answered hee could and cited that place of David Signatum Psal 4. est super nos Lumen vultis tui Domine The light of thy Countenance O Lord is signed upon us I told him that Lumen was commonly expounded to be ipsa ratio by which man is the image of God as hee might read in the Book of Genesis and that by this light man was in his nature distinguished from a brute and that a Turck and a Pagan alsoe had this light as well as hee and by a good consequence had an infalible privat spiritt of expounding Scripturs as well as hee I alsoe assured him that his owne Devines would tell him the light understood by David was noe other then reason which is the image of God whereto wee are created like which was fixed in our understanding that wee may see and know there is a God that ought to be served adored and loved and that hee will reward his servants Next said I t is absurdity to say that a Pagan which denys Scripturs should haue a spiritt to expound the Scripturs which follows from your opinion But this and all I could say could draw noe other answer from the man then that hee was sure hee had himselfe from
God an infalible spiritt of rightly understanding the Scripture In which hee walked Religiously according to Doctor Whitakâ—rs definition of the privat Spiritt Wee Catholicks that have nothing to doe with this privat Spiritt doe firmly believe God hath given a speciall Grace and infalible Spiritt of expounding the Scripture and defining Theorems of faith to generall Councells assembled together in the Holy Ghost Vbi duo vel tres congregati sunt in nomine meo ibi ero in medio illorum That likwise the Pope hath this infalible Spiritt quando loquitur ex Cathedra but privat men bee they ever soe great Saints or learned wee doe not allow this infalibility unto them though wee doubt not but the Doctors of the Church who submitts themselves in all to the Church are specially assisted by the Holy Ghost in interpreting the word of God The pride of this privat Spiritt makes Protestants to make noe account of the ancient Fathers and Doctors nor of generall Councells or any diffinition or determination of the Church Ex. G. the second Counsell of Nice defines the Doctrin of Tradition in this manner Si quu Traditionem Ecclesiae sive scripto sive consuetudine valentem non curaverit anathema sit The privat spiritt of Doctor Whitaker spurning at this Councell said Generall Councells may erre Behold one Doctor of the English Church doth blast with a breath all the authority and creditt of this generall Councell Tell mee Sall is not this a Spiritt of pride in Doctor Whitaker a little Pigme contesting with soe many tale Gyants of Sanctity and learning all the Biphops and great Doctors of that famous Councell If wee produce the Authority of Fathers and Saints excellently learned as Cyprian Gregory Ambross Ierom Augustin and others behold the Father of Protestanisme your prime Doctor Luther whom your Church terms a holy man and the Hely-as of Germany speaks resolutly Gods Word is aboue all the Devine Majesty makes for mee in soe much as I regard not if a thousaad Augustins and as many Cyprians stood against mee Was this man in his sences Luth. Tom. 2 contra Henricum Regem Angliae when hee vapered in this kinde but how did Luther prove the devine Majesty made for him by noe other means but by his privat infalible spiritt which hee supposed though by Scripture hee could not prove it hee himselfe had and those Saints had it not See now Sall if you are happy in hauing Luther a monster of sinne with his privat Spiritt on your side and Cyprian Augustin and the rest of holy Doctors against you whome you have forsaken to stick unto Luther By this privat Spiritt you Protestant Domineer over all sorts of men interpreting Scripture as you please and who interprets otherwise be they universitys Doctors Fathers Councells yea and the very high Bishop of old Rome himselfe all erre and why soe because they have not the privat Spiritt of Protestanisme what a rediculous thing this is even Common reason teacheth us By this privat Spiritt you Protestants admit for Canonicall Scriptures all you please and you declare Apocriphall what you please by this Spiritt you take what Traditions you please and by the same reject what you please by this Spiritt you disâ—anon the Books of the Machabees Ecclesiasticus and others those said Books have bine acknowledg S. Aug. in doct Christ l. 2 c. 8. Can. 47. for Canonicall by Saint Augustin and the third Councell of Africk You will doubtless tell mee that your chiefest Doctors Luther and Calvin had this infallible Spiritt in expounding the Scriptures and yet they give quite contrary interpretations of one and the same passage of Scripture as this Hoc est Corpus meum Luther understands Matt. cap. 26. that Text Secundum Litteram and says it is soe of faith to be understood and condemns for Hereticks the Sacramentariant Swinglians and Calvinistes who understand that place figuratively Luther hath this saying Englished I doe Luth. Ep. ad Har vagium Tom. 7. VVitt f 380. art 28. contra Lovanienses Tom. 2. VVitt. f. 503. protest before God and the world that I doe not agree with them the Sacramentarys nor ever will while the world standeth but will have my hands cleare from thee blood of those sheep which these Hereticks doe drive from Christ deceive and kill And againe in the same place Cursed be the Concord and Charity of Sacramentaryes for ever and ever to all Eternity Luther hee understands the above cited place litterally and possitively affirms that the body and blood of Christ is realy and substancially in the Sacrament of the Altar Hee likwise affirms but erroniously that bread is there with the body of Christ Calvin takes a quite Contrary way and affirms possitively the Body and blood of Christ is not realy and substantially in the Sacrament but figuratively see as hee expounds this Text Hoc est Corpus meum thus Hac est figura Corporis mei now what is more different then the Body of Christ to be realy in the Sacrament and the Body of Christ not to be realy in the Sacrament Sall reconcile the best you can these two great Doctors of your Church for plaine reason tells us if the Spiritt of one of them bee true the other must bee a lying Spiritt And those are the men these Monsters of incontinency and pride cover'd with all sort of vices are the Doctors and Masters you have now chosen Seeing then this privat lying Spiritt approves of expounding Scripture at will and pleasure allowing only such exposition of Gods Word as sorts well to the supporting of theire owne errors seeing it tramples all Authority of Councells Fathers and Doctors who expounded Gods Word differently from the Protestant Church seeing it ingenders contrariety in Doctrin even in the injoyers thereof as was now shewed in Luther and Calvin through each mans misconstruction of Scripture To conclude seeing the exorbitancy pride and petulancy of this Spiritt is such that it expects that all men should receive from it as from a second Moyses the Tables of our Evangelicall Law I pray sitt downe and saddly consider what you have done in following this pestiperous Spiritt and wandering with it have separated your selfe from your holy Mother the Church IV. CHAPTER BEfore resolving any thing upon this Ad tertum quere to wit of what Religion is Sall become having forsaken the Catholick Religion I must tell you hee hath been weakly armed against the evill temptation that overcame him hee hath not been a tale strong oak resisting the storme sathan rais'd against him but a wavering reed without strength or stay hee stood not stiffly upon the Rock of Peter but yielded without fighting Tempore tentationis recessit harken weake pusilanimus Sall to old Tertulian telling you Quod Hereses apud Tertul. prescrip cap. 2. eos multum valeant qui infide non valent That is that Heresies are strong against those who are not strong in theire
faith To vanquish a coward that makes noe resistance is but a smale Glory and Victory for a Champion the tentation that mastered you was like to such a Champion Illa tentatio vicit te non quia non potuit ipsa vinci repelli sed quia tu qui victus es nullarum virium fuisti That tentation mastered you not because the tentation was strong and could not be vanquished but because you that was vanquished was of noe force or resolution Tertulian speaks much to the same purpose in those tearms Hereses de quorundam infirmitatibus habent quod valeant non valentes si bene valentes fidem incurrant That is to say Hereses take theire force from the weakeness of some but would have noe force if they encountred men strong in faith You have beene indeed cast downe because you would not stand and fight for I dare affirme there are hundreds of simple honest lay-men Catholicks borne in Ireland would have rather suffered torments and death it selfe then abjure theire faith as you have don for that they would have made good use of the Grace God hath given them as you have not done but like a languishing man hast yielded to that black temptation over which they would have tryumphed It was exellently said of the formentioned Tertulians Nemo saepiens est nisi fidelis nemo major nisi Christianus nemo Christianus nisi qui usque ad finem perseveraverit Behold this Sage Father holds noe man wise but a man strong in his faiih noe man great or noble but a Christian noe man a Christian but hee that continues stout and faithfull to God in Combatts and temtations and more especialy when the storme of persecution rises upon this tryall you fainted and forsooke your Master and your Religion and now of what Religion I beseech you are you I am say you a Protestant a true Child of the Church of England but of what Sect or kind of Protestants are you is a new Queere for under this Notion of Protestant pass Lutherans Calvinist Moderat and Rigid Swinglians Anabaptists Phanaticts or the last Sect which calls themselves Quakers Shall I speak my mind to you having gone out of the Roman Catholick Church and quit the faith therin professed all along from the Apostles tymes till this day you are of noe Religion for all the rest is but Paganisme Judaysme and Heresy This assertion is evident out of the great Doctor of Nations in his Epistle to the Ephesians where hee says plainely Vnus Dominus una Fidos unum Baptisma Ad Ephes cap. 4. One Lord one Faith one Baptisme Ergo there are not two faithes to be sau'd in but one only and that the Roman Catholick Faith that noe man can be sau'd without this sole only faith Saint Paul teacheth clearely in his Epistle to the Hebrewes as thus Sine fide autem imposibele est placere Deo the words following give evidently the reason Credere enim eportet accedentem ad Deum Epist ad Hebr. cap. 11. quia est inquirentibus se remunerator sit But without faith it is imposible to please God for hee that cometh to God must believe that hee is and is a rewarder to them that seek him That the Roman Catholick Faith is that only true faith wherin men are to be saued is evidently confirmed for that it is taught and defended only in the Roman Catholick Church which hath the true signes and propertys of a true Church for that shee is one only and can not be many that shee is visible and visibly dispersed over the whole world and therfore Catholick and Universall that shee is infallible and can not be deceived nor deceive depending in her Doctrin upon the infallible Revelation of God being assisted with Christ's promise of the perpetuall presence of the Holy Ghost with her and consequently can neuer faile or fall into error that shee containeth not only the good or the elect in this life but alsoe divers wicked members as the barne doth both wheat and chaff that likewise shee hath continued perpetually visible from Christ to our days by manifest Successions of Popes and Bishops knowne to the world and shall soe to the end that there is noe hope of salvation out of this Church and without this Faith though aman live otherwise neuer soe well or give neuer soe much Almes or give even his blood or suffer neuer soe much for Christ his name Wee know there are some that say and hold that Catholicks and Protestants can be sau'd each in his owne Religion But that is a desperate Opinion and the refuge of a very Carless Conscience if not voyd of all faith Noe Catholick is of this mind they are only Protestants that say soe for wee Catholicks hold with the Fathers of the Church that salvation is only as before was said to be found in the Catholick Church among others Sainct Irenaeus and Tertulian neare the Apostles tyme and after them Epiphanius Theodoret and Saint Augustin doe specially treat of this matter The reason is evident in as much as Catholicks and Protestants doe disagree in substantiall Articles and Theorems of Christian faith theire disagreements being knowne to be in above a hundred points great and small partly about the God-head of Christ his Church head members and Authority therof in his descent to hell remission of sinns all which are Articles of the common Creed partly about the Sacraments both of theire nature number force and efficacy about the Real Presence the effect of Baptisme externall Sacrifices Purgatory and the Invocation of Saints praying for the dead faith and workes manner of Justification and the like All which are knowne to be very substantiall points It is therfore very absurd and plainly tending to a secret kinde of Athisme to uphold the Catholick and Protestant Religion doe not differ in substantiall points and the differrence being supposed as it must be it is an Heresy to hould the Catholicks and Protestants may be sau'd each in his owne Religion and Profession but Catholicks can be sau'd in theirs which can not be said of the Protestant and his for being out of the Arke Debet perire as Saint Jerom says regnante deluvio Consider therfor Sall having departed out of the Catholick Church what Eternity you may wait for an Eternity of Flames darkness and inconsolable lamentation Vbi ignis Sulphur spiritus procellarum pars calicis eorum this shall be your inheritance I must confess learned men unless careless are not soe easily intrapped by Hereticks for all this I see with all your Mastership of Philosophy and Divinity in Spaigne you haue bine deluded and circumvented by the Protestant Arch-Bishop of Cashel who likly is not an unlearned man hee hath not been carless in working your eternall ruine and undoeing and it is usually the principall care of Hereticks to pervert true believers as Tertulian doth excellently teach Studium est saith hee Heriticis
one God have mercy upòn us pleaseth mee not for it wholy tasteâ—h of Barbarisme Said Doctor King further teacheth in these motives that foule dèceipts and sleights and falcifications are practised by Protestant writers that your XXXIX Articles of Protestancy are Heresyes that true Miracles have beene wrought for proof of the Catholick Religion but neuer any for Protestancy that there is unity in Catholick Religion and disagreements in Protestancy that the Doctrin of Catholick Religion tends directly to Vertue of Protestancy to vice and liberty When you shall attentively read this learned mans motius why and wherfore hee quitted the Protestant Religion and became Catholick you must hold your selfe for a madd man for having forsaken the Catholick Religion to become Protestant The last motive the 12. which is most to be considered of all in order to safty is that Salvation may be had in the Catholick Religion even by the Confessions of Protestant Devines and Writers and likely some of them have signed the XXXIX Articles whence hee Derives an undeniable Consequence that the Catholick Religion is the safest hee discourseth to this purpose both the sides and the learnedest of both the sides Confess and agree salvation can be obtained in the Roman Catholick Faith that same faith which hath beene professed and maintaned by Popes Catholick Bishops and Catholick Congregations directed and governed by them in Spiritualibus in Confirmation of which the Catholick Saints in our Littanys are acknowledg'd for Saints by the Protestants but all the Catholick side hould that Protestants cannot be saued in theire Religion the Religion of the XXXIX Articles Ergo saith Doctor King it is Wisdome and the safest way to Imbrace the Catholick Religion acknowledged by both sides for the safest to Salvation I will conclude this discourse in giving you Doctor Kings owne words upon this subject with which hee coucludes his book of motives excellent perswading words But heere doe present unto us saith Doctor King two Porismata or resultancyes out of the premisses of this passage The first that all true reason perswadeth The 12 Motive pag. 165. 166. 167. me to implant and ingraft my selfe in that Church which I finde to be ackowledged for the true Church promising salvation tâ— her members even by her adversarys For if I dye Catholick my life being agreeable thereto both Catholicks and Protestants warrants my Sâ—lvation but dying in the Faith of Protestancy the Protestants alone and this in honour of theire owne Religion assure mee of it for there is neuer a learned Catholick wryter in the world an observation much to be weighed who granteth that a Protestant dying with a positive setled and coutumacious neglect of the Catholick Church and Faith can be saved This then being â—hus shall I in soe great a bussiness leave a certainty for an uncertainty God forbid Wee Protestants expeot to be believed in other our positions and Doctrins why not then in this Since then the Protestants doe teach that Catholicks soe dying are in state of Salvation I am resolued my Brethrens wrytings shall have that powerfull Influence over mee as what themselves doe heerin teach I will through Gods Grace put in Execution And soe my will shall become in this point a ready and seruiceable handmayd to theire Iudgments The second The wrong which wee Protestants commit in afflicting the Catholicks and in unnaturally beâ—rampling upon theire dejected estates only for matters of Religion Alas by our owne Doctrin they are neither Babylonians nor Aegyptians both they and wee being as wee teach Israelits why then should Israel thus persecute Israell Are wee not become the gaze of Christendome thus to fight without an Enemy thus for Kindred to wound its owne Kindred yea often the Father the Sonne soe turning our owne Swordes into our owne Childrens breasts wee still inciting his Majesty to greater severity a Prince of his owne Disposition of the most benigne mercifull and commiserating nature that the world at this day enjoys and all this for the Catholicks living in that Faith and Religion in which our selves teach they may be saved thus doe wee make the confessed hope of theire Salvationâ— to be the sole cause of theire pressures and callamityes Good God! who would think that Christians the chiefest Articles of whose Faith are either reputed but as indifferencyes or which is more believed for true Doctrin by theire oppressours whose Church is acknowledged to be the d D. Morton ubi supra Church of God houlding the foundation of the Ghospell the e M. Hooker ubi supra family of Iesus Christ it being noe severall f M. Bunni ubi supra Church from theirs nor theirs from it houlding g D. Field ubi supra a saving Profession of the truth in Christ in which many h D. Covell with theother doctors ubi supra dying are by their adversaries registred for most glorious Saints Should neuer the less bee persecuted by either Christians of their owne Country yea their owne flesh for theire only persevering in the a foresaid Church with Confiscaâ—ion of goods restraint of body someâ—ymes with sheeding of most innoâ—ent blood and suffering a cruell death Obstupecite e coeli super hoc portae â—jus desolamini vehementer Heere now I will stay my penne making this last motive as a fitting Catastrophe for all Since that Closure i Hierem cap. 2. and end is warrantable enough which evicteth from the ingenious Confessions of the most learned Protestants that I may be saved in that Religion wherein I am resolued to dye I think Sall you can not meet with a stronger argument then Doctor Kings unanswerable discourse for bringing you backagaine to your Mother the Catholick Church V. CHAPTER TO the fourth Quere Who are Ad quartum the Doctors Sall parted from and who those new ones hee imbraced It is easily answered hee hath quitt the four great Doctors of Gods Church holy Saints Gregory Ambrosse Augustin and Ierome and all the ancient Fathers and Catholick Doctors how famous these foure Doctors were for great Sanctity Learning and Authority is sufficiently knowne over all the world They have beene the Lights Pillars Champions and Ornaments of the Church profound in humility flaming with Charity Conspicuous in their Conversation sublime in their Comtemplation zealous in converting Souls and defending the House of God they have beene such as Saint Paule desires Gods Servants to bee Abnegantes impietatem secularia desideria Ad Titum cap. 2. sobrié justé pié viventet in hoc seculo expectantes beatam spem adventum Gloriae magni Dei salvatoris nostri Jesu Christs Cum quo jam triumphant in Caelo That is denying Impiety and wordly desires living soberly justly and Godly in this world expecting the blessed hope of the great God and our saviour Iesus Christ with whome they now tryumph in heaven What more glorious then Gregory and what more humble then hee set on the
discribing his Disputation with the Devill say as aboue Contigit me sub mediam noctem subito experge fieri That is It happened upon a certaine tyme that I was suddainly a waked about midnight then Sathan began this Disputation with mee c. and says further that the Devill speaking to him hee burst forth all in sweat and that his hart began to tremble and leap and said further Voce forti grave utitur The Devill hath a base and strong voyce c. Doth hee not further write and affirme how that Oecolampadius Empser and Luth. Tom. 7. VVit prented 1558 de Missa privata uuct Sacerd. fol. 230. others were slaine with such horrible encounters Will Fulk and Charke tell us that the Devill kild Oecolampadius Empser and others in a temptation But Mr. Sutlyffe tells us that Luther in his aforsaid discourse of this matter only declar'd his dreame What but his dreame Mr. Sutlyffe is there in Luthers whole discourse hereof soe much as but mention of any dreame Doth hee not most directly to the contrary say That hee was first suddaine awakt and that then after Sathan began the Disputation with him Doe men dreame waking againe doth not Luther affirme of Empser and Oecolampadius to have beene slaine by such horrible encounters argue more then a dreame Are men I pray you slaine by dreaming Mr. Sutlyffe your answere is like a dream and did you think to delude us in this manner soe grossly with an untruth VIII CHAPTER Of Luthers Pride and contempt of the Fathers and belying them LVther says the name of free will Luth. in colloq Latin cap. de libero arbitrio was most odious to all the Fathers Nomen saith hee Liberi Arbitrii Odiosissimum fuit Patribus Which is a foule lye for that noe one thing is more frequent with all the Fathers then that man hath free will Did not Saint Augustin S. Aug. in Lib. de libero arbitrio Itorum de gra tia libero arbitrio Item in Lib. de Vera Relig. cap. 14. write against the Manicheans who deny'd free will The Saint asserts free will in many of his books Among others hee hath this speciall assertion Est igitur liberum arbitrium quod quisquis esse negaverit Catholicus non est That is There is free will which who denys is not a Catholick Doth not Saint Augustin expresly say in one of his Epistles Valet liberum arbitrium ad opera bona si Divinitus adjuvetur quod fit humiliter petendo faciendo That is Free will is able to doe good works if it be devinely ayded which is done by humbly asking grace and making use therof Can there bee a clearer expression of free will made then this Againe the Saint says Lex jubere novit Epist 95. gratia juvare nec lex juberet nisi esset voluntas nec gratia juvaret si sat esset voluntas That is The law knows to commaund and grace to help or assist Nor would the law commaund if there were not a free will to be commaunded nor would grace help free will if free will alone could worke without grace By this true Doctrine the pestiferous Calumnyes of Luther are repulsed and confuted to wit his assertion that there is noe free will and that the name therof is odious to the Fathers and that the Papists teach a man may keep and fullfill the commaundements by the proper forces of nature without Gods grace Papistae saith hee docent posse hominem propriis naturae viribus sine gratia Dei mandata servare That is The Papists doe teach that a man may keep the commaundements of God with the propper forces of nature without Gods Grace Which is manifestly contradicted by all the Fathers and all Catholick Devines and Schooles Read Bellarmin Lib. 5. de gratia libero arbitrio Cap. 4. 5. Read Coccius who setteth downe this Article That after the Fall of Adam noe man can doe any thing by the propper forces of nature but hath need allways of the helpe of Gods Grace And besides all Scriptures aleadged for the same hee citeth above an hundred Greeck and Latin writers that confirme the same You see by this what a lying impostor Luther was in belying the Fathers touching free will and the need of Gods Grace in doeing any good worke There neuer lived an Heretick that more contemned the veneration and authority of holy Fathers then this proud and wanton Monk Hee falls upon Saint Hierome a famous Doctor of the Church in this kind Hierome Luth. in collo Germ. cap. descriptis patrum Iteus in collo Latino cap. de Patribus Tom. 2. may be read for History but as for faith and true Religion there is not one word to be found therof in his writings And againe Hierome doth treat indeed of Christ but only in name But of faith hope and charity hee saith nothing at all O impudent petulant abominable Luther that writt soe intollerable a calumnie against Holy Hierome That Saint Hierome who writt soe many tomes especially commentaryes vpon Saint Mathew upon the Epistles to the Gallatians Ephetians and Titus upon the Psalms and some of the Prophets that writt many holy works that writt in a faire stile against Hereticks Monsters and lyers as Luther was as Vigilantius Helvidius Jovinianus Montanus and the like See Bellarmin de Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis ab anno Domini 300. ad annum 400. Where you shall finde a great number of Books and works Saint Hierome writt and now can any man imagine that Saint Hierome that writt soe many Godly things and especially against Hereticks And that there is not one word as Luther saeys to be found in his writings concerning faith and true Religion and that the Saint doth treat of Christ but only in name But of faith hope and Charity hee saith nothing at all Will you heare Luther speaking of the Luth Tom. 2. VVitt. Anno 1551. Lib. de Servo Arbitr pag. 434. Luth. in collo ' Cap. de Patribus Ecclesiae ancient Fathers and the most famous of them who contradicted his Protestant licentious Doctrin first hee impudently affirms all of them to have beene blinde and most ignorant in Scriptures and to have erred all theire life tyme. Of sundry Fathers in particular hee speaks thus In the writings of Hierome there is not a word of true faith in Christ and sound Religion Tertulian is very superstitious I have held Origen long since accurssed of God Of Chrisostome I make noe account Basill is of noe worth hee is wholy a Monk I wey him not a hayre Cyprian is a weake Devine Hee adds further that the Apologie of his Schollar Philip Melancton doth farreâ— exceed all the Doctors of the Church and even Augustin himselfe Is not this a Luciferian pride in this Appostata to despise all the venerable Fathers in this kinde and yet this wicked Fryers authority and Doctrin is the first foundation of Protestancy
1524. Hee did in a speedy acomplishment of his longing desire marry even upon the suddaine Catharin Bore one of the nine Nuns that Leonard Keppen on the 7. day of Aprell 1523. brought to Wittenberg from the Monastery of Nimpisen having in the evening invited to supper Pomeran Luke the Painter and Apelles the Lawyer hee then soe finished the abominable marriage for which by the most ancient and imperiall Lawes soone after the tyme of Constantine the great hee should have lost his head Jovinian the third Christian Emperour after Constantin Zozom Histor Lib 6. Cap. 3. fine published this Edict Vt qui Sacratam Virginem vel ad nuptias contrahendas pellicere conaretur c. Capitis supplicio mulctaretur And the foresaid Law is yet extant God lib. de Episcopis Clericis Where it is said Si quis non dicam rapere sed tentare tantum jungendi causa Matrimonii Sacratissimas Virgines ausus fuerit capitale paena feriatur Oziander and Melancton doe attest Ozean Centure 16. c. 36 pag. 29. Melan. in Epist ad Ioac Camer de D. Lutheri conjugio this marriage of Luther All wanton Monks and Priestes rann after Luther each one with a Nun or a wench Martin Bucer a Dominican fryer and Bernardus Ochynus a Capuchin a complished the like Sacrilegious Marriage with two Nuns Peter Martyr being a Canon Regular of the order of Saint Augustin marryed at Straesburgh Dame Catharin the loose Nun that rann out of her Cloyster of Metz in Loraine yea the Arch-Bishop of Cullen began his Reformation with marrying a Nun. Soe writes Osiander Interea saith hee Osian Centur. 16. L. 4 cap 18 pa. 984 Archiepiscopus Coloniensis Elector Gobardus Baro Truchesius Reformationem Religionis meditabatur Matrimonium Agneti quae monialis fuerat promisit eamque tandem in uxorem duxit That is The Arch-Bishop Elector of Cullen Baron Truches began the Reformation of Religion and promised to Marry Agnes that was a Nun and at length Married her See further there pag. 953. How revolted votarys the Protestant Bishops of England took wives namely the ensuing Hooper of Worcester Barlowe of Chichester Downham of Westchester Storie of Hereford Barkaley of Bathe and Wels Coverdale of Exeter who all of them were professed Monks to whome might be added Sandes of York and Cranmer of Canterbury who still carried a woeman about with him with divers others all of them formerly Catholick Priestes One of the first that begun to live in England scandalously was Iohn Bale of Norwicth a Carmalit Fryer taking to him his Dorathy a lusty wench whome hee called fidelissimam conjugem this Fryer was after made Bishop of Ossery in Ireland Mark it well Sall how all these illuminated Doctors of your Protestant Religion were declared Enemyes to chastity and prophane breakers of theire Vowes and began all of them the great worke of Sanctifying the world and reforming the Church by marrying to Nuns and other dissolute woemen without such Companions they could doe nothing at all Did the holy Missioners sent from the Sea of Rome Saint Patrick to convert the Idolaters of Ireland Saint Austin the Benedictin the Pagans of England in the tyme of the Saxons and other Saints to other Kingdoms to enlighten them and chase away Idolatry did I say these holy Missioners that brought in holy Religion by Miracles and Sanctity bring a long with them sacrilegious and naughty woemen to acomplish the Conversion of Nations Now good Sall sit downe a little I pray you and ponder with your selfe if God a God of Piety and Sanctity would send soe wicked a man as Luther to denounce his word and Ghospell to the world a man who by a conference with the Devill abollished the Mass threw of his habit of Religion and all modesty and vertue marryed a professed Nun and lived more like a beast then a man who contemned in the highest degree the veneration sanctity and learning of all the Fathers who was possessed with a spiritt of an intollerable pride would God imploy such a man a slave of lust pride and the Devill to give the true light of the Ghospell Think seriously Sall what smale reason Mr. White had to say of Luther Mr. VVhit in his way to the Church printed 168. pa. 428 This was the end of that good man whose memory shall be pretious in the Church for ever and flourishing as the Rodd of Aaron layd up in the Tabernacle After a due ponderation of the premisses touching Luthers impious Doctrin and incontinent and wicked conversation taken out of the writings of Protestants themselves I doe referr to the Readers owne Iudgement whether wee are to joyne in esteeming and terming him a holy man as certaine Protestants doe to the great blemish of theire credit Some of these are English Gabr. Powell in his consideraiion of the Mr. Gabriell Powell calls him holy Saint Luther Mr. Iewell calls him as above was said a most excellent man sent of God to enlighten the world in the midst of darkness Papists Supplication printed 164 pag. 70 †Mr. Fox saith it pleased the Lord to send and set up Luther by his owne mighty Spirit hee alsoe Rubricates him in the highest ranck of his Confessors Mr. Whitaker doth reverence him as the Father of Protestants other Protestant writers of Germany and other Provinces call him Elias Conductor and Chariot of Israell and to be reverenced after Christ and Saint Paul But all these high strange Phanaticall and hyperbolicall prayses given to this wicked man are proved lyes by the plaine uncontroulable alegations and Testimonyes of other learned Protestant Authors who are to be creditted in this Quia res ipsa loquitur X. CHAPTER What frutes followed Luthers Doctrin and Reformation IT has beene a constant observation in all ages and tymes that men sent from God by extraordinary missions as the Apostles and other Saints after them and alsoe those sent from the Sea of Rome with ordinary mission were Saints and holy men and wrought wonders and Miracles and great devotion sanctity pennance prayer and change of mens lives to the better followed these missions whole Provinces amended theire ill manners and lives Saints doe holy things Bona arbor bonos fructus facit Now if wee shall examin the nature and effects of Luthers Reformation wee shall finde neither Miracles nor Sanctity in him or the rest of his Brethren and what fruits did this new Doctrin produce in the people did those that received it become more holy then before more modest just sober or more penitent for theire sinns Was pride vice and dissolution abated or diminished after the pretended zeale of these reformers did any man mortify his body or crucify his flesh with the concupisence and vices therof Noe such matter a change indeed followed theire new Ghospeling and Reformation it changed all to the worst Rapine Vsery Adultery and all kinde of uncleaness and dissolution became greater then before these were the
first fruits of Luthers extraordinary mission Mala arbor malos fructus facit Will you have all this evidently proved by the Testimony of prime Protestant Authors wherof Luthers is one Hee speaks thus The World Luth. in Postilla super Evang. groweth dayly worse men are now more revengefull covetous licentious then they were ever before in the Papacy when wee were seduced Dom. 1 Adventus Dominica 26. post Trinit by the Pope every man did willingly follow good works and now every man neither saith nor knoweth any thing but how to gett all to himselfe by exactions pillage theft lying usery c. The second Author is Erasmus one of Mr. Fox his Saints and Confessors in his acts and monuments hee says Circumspice populum istum Evangelicum c. Eras in Epist ad vulturiam neocomum written anno 1529. profer mihi quem istud Evangelium ex commessatore sobrium ex impudico reddiderit verecundum ego tibi multos ostendam qui facti funt scipsis deteriores That is Look upon those Evangelicall people bring mee one glutton that this Ghospell made sober an incontinent man made chast I will shew you many that have exceeded even themselves in wickedness and hee further saith Quos antea noveram puros c. That is Who I have knowne before pure cleane sincere and voyd of craft and knavery I have seen these men after professing this new Evangelicall Sect beginne to speake of mayds c. to Eras in Epist ad Fratres idferiores Germani◠leave of theire prayers to become very impatient and vaine and meer vipers in theire manners and have as it were cast of human nature I speake what I know And hee saith yet further there Nov◠monachum qui pro una duxerit tres c. I knew a Monk who insteed of one wife marryed three and I knew a Priest that after hee had marryed a wife found out that shee was marryed to another before I will not name to you a certaine Priest whipt here at Basille about the streets for his wickedness being of the same profession with these Ghospelers c. Hee testify'd publickly that after hee had once addicted himselfe to that Sect hee rann into all kinf of wickedness I will not say what hee told of the whole Sect c. hither to Erasmus Musculus a famous Lutheran saith Muscul Dom. 1 Adv. in Lib. Thus stands the case at present with us Lutherans that if any bee desirous to see a great rabble of knaues of de Prophesia Christi turbulent persons deceitfull Coseners Userers let him goe to any Citty where the Ghospell is purely preacht and hee shall find them there by multitudes for it is more manifest then the day-light that there were neuer among the Ethnicks Turks and other Infidells more unbridled and unruly persons among whome all vertue and honesty is quite extinct then are among the Professors of the Ghospell And Sall is not this a faire Testimony Musculus gives of the first fruits of your Reformations Perhaps good works and Sanctity some years after follow'd your new Doctrin and Ghospelling I cannot finde it soe but quite contrary for Mr. Stubbs in his Motives to good works printed anno 1596. In his Epistle to the Lord Major of London saith That after his trauel in compassing all England round about I found the people in most parts dissolute proud envious malicious covetous ambitious carless of good works c. And after him Mr. Richard Giffery a Protestant Devine in his Sermon at Pauls Gross 7. Octob. Printed 1604. page 31 saith I may freely speake what I have plainly seene in the course of some travells and observation of some courses that in Flanders was never more Drunckenness in Italy more wantonness in Iury more Hypocrisy in Turky more Impiety in Tartary more Iniquity then is practised generally in England particularly in London And if wee may give credit to the relation of some Catholicks and Protestants that come a broad it is noe whit better there at present The Centuristes Cent. 7. c. 7. Col. 181. Complayning of the want of good works among those of theire owne Profession and speaking of the Catholick common people in the blindness of Papistry as they term it say thus They were the Catholicks soe attentive to theire prayers as they bestow'd almost the whole day therin c. They did exhibit to the Magistrat due obedience they were most studious of amity concord and Society soe as they would easily remitt inivryes all of them were carefull to spend theire tyme in an honest vocation and labour to the poore and strangers they were most courteous and liberall and in theire Iudgments and Contracts most true Sall is not this a faire Testimony wee Catholicks have from our adversaryes of vertue piety and good works strong it must be coming from adversaryes Now I would faine know how can Luther and his new Reformation save those that received his Doctrin hee cannot doe it by good works wheras himselfe Erasmus Musculus and the Centuristes Confess they had noe merita bona but multa merita mala Noe good works noe justice noe piety hee answers let them live as they please and doe noe good works let them have faith and live neuer soe wickedly they are sau'd for this is a principall Article of Lutheran Faith and Doctrin that Who doth once truly believe though hee committed thousands of Murthers Adulteryes and most wicked sinns cannot be seperated from God nor fall from his Grace and which is more cannot loose his Faith by any sinn Let any man judge if ther can bee any principle and Article of Faith more desperate and impious then this XI CHAPTER Of Calvins Doctrin his Calumnies against Catholicks and of his Life and Conversation Iohn Calvin borne at Noyon in France an eloquent man and famous with Protestants for his writings especially his Books of Institutions which are more esteemed in England and whersoever his Sect beares sway then the Cannons of holy Church and the Doctrin and Authority of the ancient Fathers Hee is very well described by a French Author as thus Calvin comme une meschante Georg. l'Apostre contre les 150. Heresies du Ministre la Bansserie c. Arraignèe a couru par dessus toutes les Heresies passees e de chacun en succèe le venin le plus pernicieux en compaesant une venenade en a enbevionne la Christiente That is Calvin like a venomous spiderr hath runne over all Heresyes of former tymes and hath suckt out of each of them the most pernitious venim and made therof a poysened Potion and gave therof to drinck to the Christian World Hee raked up many old Heresies from hell but nothing can be more blasphemous then two Articles of his Doctrin The one that hee makes God Author of sinne affirming that hee damnes soules to Hell by an eternall inevitable and unalterable decree and Iudgment without any regard
of a Priest which to requite one curtesy for another made the King connive at his keeping a Woeman and at some of his Opinions though som what contrary to the statute of the six Articles In King Henry the eight's days Cranmer professed to be Catholick and writt a book for the Real Presence In King Edward the sixt days hee professed Protestancy and writt another book against the Real Presence Bishop Bonner produced both those books against him in Iudgment Hee conspired with the Protector Summerset to overthrow K. H. will and testament and afterwards conspired with Dudlay of Northumberland to ruine the Protector hee joyned with Dudlay and the Duke of Suffolk against Queen Mary for the Lady Iane Gray and immediatly after with Arondell Shrewsbury Pembrook Paget ane others against the same Duke finally when hee was condemned in Queen Mary's tyme for treason and Heresie and his Treason being pardoned hopeing the same favour might be extended to his Heresie hee recanted and abjur'd the same but seeing the temporall Lawes reserved noe mercy for relapsed Hereticks who are presumed not to be truly penitent or converted hee was soe exasperated therby that at his death moved more by Passion then Conscience hee renounced the Roman Catholick Religion to which hee had soe lately conformed These were the Godly men who framed the XXXIX Articles of the Religion of the English Church the Liturgie and the book of Sacraments Rites and Ceremonies of the Protestant Church and though it may seem incredible that an Athist a Iew a Contemporiser or meer Pollitian a Presbiterian a riged Lutheran a halfe Lutheran and an Anty Lutheran or Sacramentarian should all make one Religion yet when men doe but dissemble and deliver opinions to please others and profitt themselves and have noe Religion at all they may without difficulty concurr in some generall poynts of Christianity framing negative Articles such as many of the XXXIX Articles are Impugning the particular truthes of Orthodox faith This was the case of the Church of England and men disagreeing in opinions made up one religion such as it was The Fabrick of those Articles being rays'd as was said let any Christian be Iudge whether it be more safe and more rationall to rely in matter of faith upon the Tradition of the whole Catholick Church and ancient Liturgy's and Rites and upon the Testimony of all the holy Fathers and Counsells since the Apostles tymes then to take the bare Word of Cranmer a man of slippery life and Religion Let any Christian man I say bee Iudge whether this man together with Ochinus a Iew Buzer an Athist or at the best a Iew Peter Martir of the Religion the Parlament would have him to be of Hooper and Latimer and Rogers stubborn discontented Presbiterians Bale and Coverdale Lutherans two lew'd and runagate Fryers whether hee that cares for his owne soule should rather believe these wicked impious men in points of Faith and marters of Salvation then all the ancient Fathers and the holy Councells Let us now see after Dudlay and his faction of Protestant Religion and the Citty of London had crowned Iane Gray what became of them and how long they were in the roofe and prosperity Queen Marys courage and resolution and her owne good right Protestancy being not as yet soe deeply rooted at once with those loyall Catholicks that waited on hervertue and fortune quashed Dudlays Rebellion and designe those lewd Apostate Monks and Priests that coyned the XXXIX Articles then vanished away like smoke and brought Dudlay to his distruction hee was put to death for treason and Rebellion Upon the scaffold hee declared that hee had never been a Protestant in his Iudgment and only made use of its principels and Profession for temporall ends as to raise his family and make his Sonne marryed to Lady Gray King c. Hee advertised the people of the new Religions in consistency with peace and quiet that its Clergie were but ungodly men and trumpets of sedition The substance of his speech is set downe by Doctor Heylin a Protestant in Doct. Heil Eccls Restau Queen Mary pag. 19 these-words Hee admonished the Spectators to stand to the Religion of theire Ancesters rejecting that of latter date which had occationed all the misery of the foregoing 30 years and that for prevention for the future if they desired to present theire soules unspotted in the sight of God and were truly affected to theire country they should expell those tempests of sedition the preachers of the reformed Religion that for himselfe what soever had otherwise been pretended hee professed noe other Religion then that of his fathers for testimony wherof hee apealed to his good frind and Ghostly Father the Lord Bishop of Worcester and finally that being blinded with ambition hee had been contented to make wrake of his conscience by temporising for which hee professed himselfe seriously repentant and soe aeknowledged the Iustice of his death A Declaration saith Doctor Heyling very vnseasonable whether true or false as that which rendered him less pittied by the one side and more scorned by the other This is a more politick then pious obseruation of Doctor Heylin would hee not haue men confess theire faults and profess theire faith when they are dying and would hee haue them preferr the vanity of the pitty or scorne of the World when they are to bid the whole World adieu before the Satisfaction and Salvation of the Soule Sall hath there been soe much as one man of your first Doctors and Reformers and of all those that contriu'd the XXXIX Articles hath there been I say soe much as one just man before God walking in all the Commaundements and Iustifications of our Lord without blame one vertuous soule that mortify'd his body and loved Chastity one Priest or Monk amongst them all that was bonus odor Christi Noe but all of them lew'd dissolute infamous Priests and Religious men that broak theire holy vowes Rebells against God and against his annoynted on earth Kings and. Magistrats rayfing tumults and seditions in all the countrys they liu'd in such kinde of men they have been though Iohn Fox a ridiculous man canonized many of them for great Saints of which wee shall treat more at large in the ensuing Chapter They haue beene Cores that have rent the Coat and garment of Christ and made a great Scisme in Gods Church like Ballaaems they have cheated Gods People for gaining Wordly Comodityes and Pleasures like Gains they have murthered millions of innocent Abells with Hereticall Doctrine and pestiferous manners and Conversation You are not ignorant Sall of what Saint Paul writes to Timothy And 2. ad Tim. cap. 3. thus know thou that in the last days shall aproatch perilous tymes And men shall be lovers of themselves covetuous hauty proud blasphemous wicked without affection Incontinent unmercifull traitours stubern puffed up and lovers of voluptuousness more then of God Lay your hand upon your hart
VVicklifs Errors about that Sacrament Accidentia non manent sine subjecto in â—odem Sacramento substantia panis naturalis vini naturalis manent in Sacramento Altaris Errores damnati in Concilio constantiâ—nsi the Doctrin of Purgatory and other Articles will you heare Sir Iohn Oldcastle a prime Wicklifian his Protestation at his death of believing the Real-Presence after confessing Articles about the Blessed Trinity and Christes Diety Sir Iohn Old-Castle cometh to treat of the Sacrament of the Aulter hee protesteth thus as Fox himselfe writeth And for as much as Sir Ioh. Old-C his Protestation at his death I am falsly accused of a misbeliefe in the Sacrament of the Aulter I signify here to all men that this is my faith concerning that I beleeve in that Sacrament to be contained very Christs Body and Bloud under the Similitudes of Wyne and Bread yea the same Body that was conceived of the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary donne on the Crosse dyed and was â—uryedâ— and a rose the third day from death and now is glorify'd in heaven The said Old-Castle shew'd his beleefe about three sorts of men thus The holy Church I beleeve to be devided into three sorts or Companyes wherof the first are now in heaven c. The second sort are in Purgatory Fox pag. 314. abyding the mercy of God and a full deliverance of payne The third upon Earth c. You see that Old-Castle a Wâ—ckclifian doth clearly beleev'd the Doctrin of Purgatory which Fox did not nor doe the Protestants of England now wherfore to this speech of Purgatory Fox thought best least it might disgrace his new Martyr to add this parentesis of his owne if any such place bee in the Scriptures c. which was perfidiously done of Fox It is to be supposed that Wicklif held some things with us and some things with the Protestants and somthings different from both and yet Fox must have him and his Sect to be of his owne Communion and make him a Martyr though hee confesseth and soe doth Iohn Ball alsoe that hee was neuer as much as imprison'd for his faith but his bones were taken up forty years after his buriall and burned by the Commaundement of the Councell of Constance for his Heresies discovered after â—his death and for this Fox made him a Martyr and consequently hee became Martyr without feeling any paine or without the Consent or Concurrence of his owne will Take here some Articles of Wicklifs Doctrin to which I presume the Protestant will not agree One is That it is against Scripture for any Ecclesiasticall Minister to have any temporall possessions at all What think you will the Ministers of England agree to this Another That as long as a man is in deadly sinn hee is neither Bishop nor Prelate Another That Temporall Lords may according to their owne will and discretion take a way the temporall goods from any Church-men when soever they offend Think you that the Protestant Church-men of England agree to this Article Another Tythes are meer Almes and may be detained by the Parishoners and bestow'd where they will at theire pleasure This Article alsoe cannot rellish Protestant Church-men These and many more Articles of Wicklif have been condemned by the Catholick Church as Hereticallâ— and himselfe as an Heretick though hee held divers poynts of the Catholick Religion as holy Orders Consecration Excomunication Purgatory and other like But Fox makes him a Martyr for holding some poynts with the Protestants though differing in other Materiall poynts But this is the Beggery of his new Church that it cannot be made up but by such dunghill cloutes as Wicklefians Lollards Albigensians and the like which are cast of by the Catholicks and rejected for that they have not agreed in every point of the Catholick beleefe according to the creed of Athanasius such is the integrity severity and Majesty of our Church that wee reject as spotted and blemish'd raggs all such as beleeve not all Articles of Faith propos'd by the holy Catholick Church this is according to Saint Augustins Doctrin Ecclesia Vniversaliter perfecta est in nnllo claudicat That is The true Church is Universally perfect and doth hault in noe one poynt of beleefe Now you shall see how Wickless fellow Saints condemn'd him for an Heretick and consequently one that should not be placed in the Calendar of Saints Luther the great Elias and Prophet of Germany as Ioannes Cockleus Ioann Cochl in vita Luteri Surius in hist Anno Dom. 1517. 1518. Melan. Epist ad Fredericum Miconium and Surius doe recount held Wicklif for an Heretick such alsoe was the Iudgment of Phillip Melankton which against Iohn Fox must needs be much avaylable who placed him for a fellow Saint together with Wicklef in his Calendar What then says Melankton of Wicklef hee speaks thus Inspexi Wicklefum qui valde tumultuatur in hac Controversia c. That is I have look't over Wicklef who behau'd himselfe tumultuously in this Controversy of the Lords supper and more then this I have found many Errors in him by which a man may make Iudgment of his Spirit It is certaine hee neither understood nor held the Justice of Faith Hee said in another place Plane furebat Wicklefus Melan. in Apolâ— tit de human tradit qui negabat licere Sacerdotibus tenere proprium That is Wicklef was playnly out of his wits when hee did deny that it was lawfull for Priests to hold in locis com tit de potestat Ecclesi any thing proper Well then Wicklef a furious man that stirred up sedition and was ignorant of the very foundation of the Protestant Ghospell to wit of theire Doctrin of Salvation by only faith as both Melankton and Luther affirmed Wicklif to be with what spirit think you doth your Apostata Fryer Bale call him an Elias a morning starre an Organ of Christ an habitacle of the holy Ghost But if you will listen to Catholick writers who liu'd about the same tyme with Wicklif as Thomas Walsingam and Thomas Waldensis in theire learned writings you shall finde him to have been one of the most pernicious wicked dissembling Hypocriticall impugners of Christ and his Doctrin that ever was in the Church of God Walsingam VVals in hist Ricard Rigis 2 anno Dom. 1382 doth beginn a Narration of Wicklif thus Eodem tempore ipse verus Hypocrita Angelus Sathanae Antichristi prae ambulus non nominandus Ioannes Wicklef vel potius wicked-beleefe Hereticus sua deliramenta concinnavit reassumens damnatas opiniones c. That is At the same tyme the very true Hypocrit the Angell of Satan the forerunner of Antichrist the heretick Iohn Wicklif or rather wicked-beleefe not being worthy the naming continved his madde and new devises renewing againe old damned opinions and heresies c. You see how holy a man Wichlef was by the Testimony of Catholick writers who knew him better then Fox did
there discribed After followes the fight between Lucifer and those of his side and Michael the Arck-Angell Captain of the innumerable Legions that remaind obedient to God and these had the victory And there was made Apocal. ibid. agreat Battle in heaven Michael and his Angells fought with the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angells and they prevailed not neither was there place found any more in heaven And that great Dragon was cast forth the old Serpent which is called the Deuill and Sathan which seduceth the whole World and hee was cast into the Earth and his Angells were throwne downe with him From Heresie and Hereticks in heaven let us pass to those on Earth Hereticks in the Law of Nature AS soone as God began to be Cain the first Heretick worshipped on Earth the Heresie of Cain sprang up who deny'd Gods Providence and murthered his brother Abel for maintaining Gods Providence Cains Envy could not brook Abels Innocency The second Heresie was that of Lamech Lamech the second Heretick who marryed two wives at once and soe deny'd the Unity of the Church God drew but one Ribb out of Adam and of that made but one woeman and said to them Erunt duâ— Genesis cap. 2. in carne una Lamech violated this Law by taking two Wives which was an Heresie 3. The Gyants were the third sort of Hereticks 4. All those that did not enter the Arck and perished in the Deluge were Hereticks 5. C ham after the Deluge mocked his Fathers nakedness and was Eo Nomine Pratriarck and Father of all those scoffing Hereticks that contemne the holy Fathers saying they were ignorant unlearned and blind You see by this there was one Heretick Cham in the Arke wherin were in all but eight Soules 6. Those that were building Babell were Hereticks and the figure of Hereticks that follow'd them God confounded theire tongues soe that they could not understand one another it is soe this day with Protestants strucken by God with a giddiness and soe disagreeing in Religion and Opinion as upon this one Text of Scripture HOC Math. cap. 26. r. 27. EST CORPVS MEVM There are 400. Opinions and Interpretations God hath confounded them in theire understanding tongues and writings 7. Esau for persecuting his Brother Iacob therby opposing himselfe to God and Israel These are Sall your Companions in the Law of Nature Hereticks in the written Law 1. FRom the tyme the Church of God was planted in Egypt wee find by tradition that Iamnes and Mambre Tim. 2. cap. 3. who resisted Moyses were the first Hereticks of those speaks Saint Paul But as Iamnes and Mambre's resisted Moyses soe these alsoe resist the truth men corrupted in minde reprobat concerning the faith 2. All those that dyed in the desert murmouring against God and Moyses and his directions and commaunds 3. Chore and Dathan with theire seditious companions that opposed Moyses and his authority 4. Nahab and Albiu that put strange fyre in the Insence of the Lord. 5. All those strange Kings that made warre against the Children of Israel 6. All the false Prophets of Baal and all of that kind All these Sall are your companions in the written Law Hereticks in the Evangelicall Law IN the tymes of the Law of nature and of the written Law there haue not been if I am not mistaken above 20. Kindes of Hereticks but in the Evangelicall or in the Law of grace they have been above 600. of them A man would say it were hard to beleeve this seeing the standart of the Cross after Christes passion hath been lifted up against hell and heresie the kingdom and power of the Devill diminished Idols cast down Atheisme bannished and the Empire of Hell on Earth as it were destroy'd by the Bloud of Iesus Vertue Piety and the light of Grace for all this woefull experience proues what I have said to be true And Saint Cyprian giues you the true reason S. Cyp. lib. de Vnitat wherfor in these words Cum videret inimicus idola derelicta templa sua deserta exâ—ogitauit novas fraudes hereses inuenit scismata â— quibus fidem subuerteret When Sathan saw after our Sauiours Passion the Idols cast away and his tempels deserted hee thought of new fraudes hee inuented heresies and scismes by which hee might subuert faith and sanctity Sathan therfore the Father and Author of all lyes and Heresies seduced men from the way of truth and stirred them up against the Church and Verity these kinde of men sowed Heresyes and Scismes and some of them began like Hypocrits covering theire damnable Doctrin with a cloack of Sanctity such were Arius Iohn Wicklef and many more and even the worst livers of them pretended a kind of Piety in theire Opinions and as it were a speciall regard of the glory of God grounding all Sanctity and Salvation upon Sanctifying faith alone and upon this account some of them took away free will others good works fasting pennance and allkind of Mortification they did but mock all these things others took away the Invocation of Saints and Angells and Doctrin of Purgatory Indulgence and Prayers for the dead others reduced seven Sacraments unto two or rather to one to wit Baptisme and others have even destroy'd this Sacrament teaching infants to be saved in the faith of theire Parents and that Baptisme is but a meer cerimony that might be used or omitted without sinne others said the Commaundements were impossible to be kept and others held they did noe way oblige Christians and that they were only made for the Iewes but oboue all Calyin was soe zealous in attributing mans Salvation only to the Passion and Bloud of Iesus that hee held all the good works man could doe of noe value or effect yea hee termed Bona opera hominis piacula sordes inquiuamenta By this you see the Doctrins taught by Hereticks were but mera somnia deliria and a good part of the thirty nine Articles of the Church of England are such I shall herafter in a convenient place give you a long Letany of Hereticks but it will be noe way holy In this place I will only set downe the Sect of Quakers that sprung up in England some years agoe theire principall theorems and tenets are 1. That they are imediatly cald by Iesus and sent to convert the world as the Apostles were by an extraordinary mission 2. That God being a pure Spiritt is to be honoured only by the Spiritt wherfore they condemne all bending of knees and all exteriour signes of Religion and worship due to God 3. That it is superstition to light Candles by daytyme to weare Capps Copes Albs or any sacred vestments 4. That it is Idolatry to build Churches put up Crosses or the Images of Christ or his Saints or render them any Worshipp 5. They denye and reject the name of Sacrament and affirme that Baptizing in water is not of devine Institution 6. They
that this Doctrin was first invented in the tyme of that Councell The Canon or Diffinition of that great Councell was In haec Verba Verum Christi Corpus sanguis in hoc Sacramento Altaris sub speciebus Panis Vini ver aceter continentur Transubstantiatis Pane in Corpus Vino in Sanguinem potestate divina For the better declaring of this truth Sall you know the Church doth not make new Articles of Faith when it defines any controverted Doctrin It only declares that such Doctrin was delivered to the primative Church and soe downe along to us and groundeth its difinition upon Scripture or authentick Tradition As the Protestants object against Transubstantiation that it is a nouelty Soe did the Arrians against Consubstantiality that it was a novelty brought in by the Councell of Nice wheras said Councell did only define Consubstantiality to have been from the Apostles tyme an Article of Faith and decreed the same should be declared and signify'd by the word Omousion in like manner the Councell of Lateran did define for a mistery of faith Transubstantiation which was soe before theire Difinition and then they agreed upon the word Transubstantiation but the thing by that word signifyed was before beleeved as an Article of Faith by the whole Church though expressed in other tearms as those of Mutation Transmutation Transelementation Conversion of the Bread and Wine into the Body and Bloud of Christ In the mean tyme I can not understand how Sall a new Sacramentarian should dispute with us about the Doctrin of Transubstantiation seing hee slattly denyes the Body and Bloud of Christ to be realy and substantially present in the Sacrament What is more impertinent then to dispute of the manner of a thing or being that you hould has noe being The Lutherans who beleeve the Body and Bloud of Christ to be realy and substantially in the Sacrament though erroniously they likwise hould Bread to be there have some reason to dispute with us about the manner of Christes being there by Transubstantiation or otherwise The first Hereticks that impugned Transubstantiation were the Capharnites who said Quomodo potest hic nobis carnem Ioanes Cap. 6. suam dare ad manducandum And againe Durus est hic sermo When our Saviour said I am the living Bread that came downe from heaven If any man eat of this Bread hee shall live for ever and the Bread which I will give is my flesh for the life of the World The Iewes therfore strove among themselves saying How can this man give us his Flesh to eat This saying is hard and who can heare it Sall you see by this is becom a Capharnite and in this point soe are all that imbrace the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England About the yeare 780. certaine Greek Hereticks called Iconomachi held this Sacrament to be only an Image of Christ and that his Body was not realy in the Sacrament In the yeare 800. one Ioannes Scotus of the Latin Church fell into the same Heresie and after him two ages and more in the year 1050 Berengarius denyed Transubstantiation and the Real-Presence Before these men none did impugne this high mistery of Faith but all the Church did quietly and unanimously beleeve the Real-Presence of the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Sacrament and the aforesaid Iconomachi and all other in this point were confuted by the Fathers and condemned by the Church in severall generall Councells The latter Hereticks as Zwinglians Calvinists and and the like Sacramentarians have alsoe been condemned by the Church In this high point of Doctrin wee are to beleeve and maintain what the Canons and Counsells of the holy Church have defined as that of Lateran aboue cited and others and of the Councell of Trent expressly and distinctly Concil Triden Sess 13. Cap. 1. 2. 3. 6. difining this mistery in the 13. Session in the sixth Chapter it defines more especially the Doctrin of Transubstantiation which is the Conversion of the whole substance of Bread into the substance of the Body of Christ our Lord and of the whole Substance of Wine into the Substance of his Bloud Quae Conversio soe ends the Chapter convenienter propriè a Sancta Catholica Ecclesia Transubstantiatio est appellata The first Canon is in haec verba Si Cone Triden Sess 13. Canon 1. 2. 6. quis negaverit in Sanctissimae Eucharistiae Sacramento contineri vere realiter substantialiter Corpus Sanguinem una cum anima divinitate Domini nostri Iesu Christi ac proinde totum Christum sed dixerit tantummodo esse in eo ut in signo Vel figura aut virtute Anathema sit This Canon is point-blanck against Calvinians and Sacramentarians The second Canon is against Wicklefians and Lutherans the sixth doth define the Worship of Adoration due to our Saviour in the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist Wee cannot follow better guides and masters herein then the ancient Fathers men inspired by God in theire writings who all of them concerning the Sacrament of the Aulter have beleeu'd as wee doe and asserted the true and Catholick Doctrin touching the same in theire writings if Sall hath any esteem for those holy men let him take paines to read theire writings and hee shall finde I promise him that they all held this Article to bee of Faith to witt that Christ is realy and substantialy present in this Sacrament by Transubstantiation or Conversion of the whole Substance of Bread and Wine into his Body and Bloud I will not goe lower then the fifth age because Ptotestants regard not the Authority of Fathers later then that age in which liued Chrisostom Hierom Cyryllus of Alexandria Augustin Proclus Constantinopolitanus Theolet Gelasius Leo Hillarius Eusebius Emissenus c. In the fourth Century wherin the first Councell of Nice was celebrated Athanasius Hillarius Cyrillus of Hierusalem Ambrose Basill Optatus Gregorius Nyzenus Gregorius Nazianzenus Epiphanius In the third age lived Origen Tertulian Cyprian In the second Iustinus Martyr Pius Pope Irinaeus In the first the tyme of the Apostles Ignatius Dionisius Ariopagita Pollicarpe and others Out of all these Fathers and many more can be produced an infinity of passages clearly declaring that they beleeved the Real-Presence and maintained Transubstantiation or the thing therby signifyed and beleeved and that it was delivered from age to age from the Apostles tyme and that this was the Faith of the whole Church I will content my selfe which I hope will content my Reader in aleaging the Authorityes of some of them Tertulian who lived in the third age says Caro abluitur ut anima emaculetur Tertul lib. do Resurrectione carnis caro ungitur ut anima consecretur Caro Corpore Sanguine Christi vescitur ut anima de Deo saginetur That is The Flesh of man is washed with true substantiall Water that the Soule may be cleansed the Flesh is anoynted with true Oyle that the Soule
inherence is naturall and propper to accidents and the Body and Bloud of Christ hauing in the Sacrament a spirituall presence seing all these wonders and magnalia may say with great Saint Iohn Chrisostome O Miraculum ô Dei benignitatem qui cum Patre sursum sedet in illo temporis Articulo omnium manibus pertractatur That is O Miracle ô goodness of God that hee who sitteth aboue with the Father is heer beneath handled by men If Sall inquire how a Body can have a spirituall Presence I answer him with demaunding how a spirit can have a corporall Presence How can an Angell have appearence and presence of a young man wherof there are many examples in Scripture Did not Angells seeme to the eyes of Abraham Tobias and others to bee young men and yet they were not men but spiritts And why cannot the Body of Christ have a spirituall Presence in the Sacrament if God will have it soe Let Sall shew us the cause and reason why it may not be done It is indeed a hard question to declare Qua Actione Corpus Christi ponitur in Sacramento Some hold it is done Actione Adductiva that is to say that Christ retaining the ubi his Body hath in heaven gives by this kinde of Action a new ubi to his Body and Bloud under the species and Accidents of Bread and Wine but this opinion hath great difficultyes and is hard to bee defended wherefore the clearer and more plausible Sentence is Quod Corpus Christi ponatur sub speciebus Panis Sanguis sub speciebus Vini By a true and real Reproduction Hoc est per Actionem productivam sic sentire videtur S. Thomas dicens quia in hoc Sacramento tota S. Tom. 3. part q. 75. Art 8. Substantia Panis convertitur in totam Substantiam Corporis Christi propter hoc haec Conversio Transubstantiatio vocatur Id est perit seu destruitur Substantia Panis quando reproducitur Substantia Corporis Christi sub speciebus Panis That is to say The Substance of Bread doth perish or is distroy'd when the Substance of the Body of Christ is reproduced under the accidents of Bread I have said aboue that the ancient Fathers and Saints asserted Corpus Christi in Sacrament◠Altaris fieri confici creari which Propositions cannot be verifyed but by a real Action which is this Actio productiva Reproduction or Replication of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament that the same esse or being that Christ hath in heaven is reproduced under the accidents of Bread and Wine in this Sacrament Will any man say that this is not possible to God If God can restore that which perrished by reproduceing the very same thing in Individuo G. V. if hee can raise to life one that was dead as hee restored Lazarus to life the very same Lazarus in Individuo the Brother of Martha and Mary Magdalen that dyed few days before why cannot God as well reproduce a man that is living and that was not dead before It is cleare the existence of the man living doth not hinder but that God may reproduce or replicate the same man againe and not once but ten tymes and a hundred tymes and even make an Army of one man by soe oft reproducing him Likewise reproducing or replicating the same man in severall places that man may doe different Actions the reason is Quia licet secundum se sit idem numero homo est virtute multiplex multis aequipollet locorum spatiis Operationtbus That is Because though that man reduplicated be one and the same man in number yet hee hath the vertue of many men and can bee in many and different places and doe many and different Actions By this means the man replicated may be hott in one place and cold in another walke in one place and stand in another may be sick in one place and well in another and which is more strange may live in one place and dye in another Let Sall tell us why all this may not be done and what Contradiction doth this Replication involue that it may not be done by the power of God Will hee dare say the power of God which is infinit can be soe ended and exhausted as it may not extend it selfe to such a Reproduction or Replication Hauing said soe much by way of discussion upon some parts of Salls Recantation that impugnes the Doctrin of Transubstantiation let mee now shew that the Greeck and Ruthenian Church and the Armenians doe agree with the Roman Catholick Church in the Doctrin of Transubstantiation Real-presence and in Cultu latriae or Worship of Adoration due to the Body of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar XIX CHAPTER The Ruthenian and Greeck Church and the Armenians hold the same in the Article of Transubstantiation as the Roman Catholicks doe FOr informing Sall lately become Calvinist and a great zealot that way that the Ruthenians and those of the Greeck Church and Armenians agree with us in the Doctrin of Transubstantiation Real-presence c. I here set downe certain passages worthy to be notifyed to him and all those of his Religion which I lately read with great Attention and Satisfaction I will instance a late undeniable proofe of this out of a Conferrence that passed between L. H. Gondrin Arch-Bishop of Sans a very learned Prelate and a venerable Priest of Muscovia a Chanon of th◠Cathedrall of Muskow then in the retenue of the Muscovit Ambassador in Paris and with the Secretary of said Ambassador This conference was made at Paris anno 1668. These being invited by the Arch-Bishop to dyne with him after great civility done them his grace put the Priest many questions touching Transubstantiation and the Real-Presence after the words of Consecration and what Worship is due to Christ in the Sacrament and desired upon all this to receive the Iudgment and use of the Ruthenian Church they answered to all distinctly as men well versed in the Religion of theire Country and assured his Grace they agreed in all these points to wit Transubstantiation Real-Presence and Incultu latriae that is Adoration due to Christ in this Sacrament the Arch-Bishop much joy'd at these Answers further desired to know theire Iudgment of some Christians in France that denyed the Body and Bloud of Christ to be realy and substantially in the Eucharist and likewise deny'd Adoration to bee due there unto they replyed with a pious anger and indignation if such men liu'd in our country wee should put them to death and burne them like Hereticks and Deuills But there are said they God be praysed noe such men in Muscovia nor dare they live there Take another strong Confirmation of the same the answer Paisius Legaridius Chius Metropolitan of Gaza given to Ioannes Lylienthal Ambassador of the King of Sueden in the Court of Muscovia in the Month of September anno 1666. The Ambassador set forth to said Metropolitan the tenets of the
Lutherans Calvenistes and Romans about the blessed Eucharist the question stated hee said Est itaque questionis scopus quam nempe in hac opinionum varietate Ecclesia Ruthenia seu Graeca teneat Sententiam partesne Ecclesiae Romanae an Lutheranae vel Calvinianae tueatur That is It is therfore the but of the question what Sentence in this variety of Opinions holds the Ruthenian Church and whose part doe they hold and maintaine that of the Roman Church or the Lutheran or the Calvinian The Metropolitan answered possitively in a long and learned discourse that the Ruthenian and all the Greeck Church agreed with the Romans in Transubstantiation Real-presence and worship of Adoration due to Christ in the Holy Eucharist The Romans said hee only differ from our Church in the matter of this Sacrament that the Greeck Church doth consecrate in Levin-Bread and the Latin in Azime wherfore wee Grecians call the Latins Azimits but hee further said this differrence between us is not essentiall for that Levined and unlevined Bread are ejusdem speciei In like manner the Surian or Syrian Church agree's with the Roman in all touching the Eucharist and likewise in some other points of Faith denyed by the Protestants of England as doth evidently wittness the ensuing Testimony of severall Bishops and Priestes of that Country and Church Testimonium seu Professio quorundam Articulorum apud Nationem Surianam In Oriente In Nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti 1. CHristi Corpus Sanguinem verè realiter in Eucharistiae continer◠firmiter credimus non figuram tantum ejus atque virtutem ut Heretici commenti sunt 2. Item Panem Vinum in verum Christi Corpus Sanguinem realiter substantialiter vi Divinae Consecrationis mutari atque converti seu substantiari quod idem est 3. Christum in Eucharistia residentem Latriae cultu adorari debere ita ab omnibus Ecclesiae nostri fidelibus adorari 4. In Sacra Lyturgia verè ac propriè dictum Sacrificium pro vivis mortuis propitiatorium Deo offerri 5. Sanctos recte a fidelibus coli invocari 6. Presbiterum non esse qui ab Episcopo Impositionem manuum non acceperit 7. Licere Ecclesiae carnium Escas certis diebus prohibere fidelibus statuta per annum jejunia indicere 8. Contra Sentientes pro Hereticis prophanis haberi excomunicari Haec est ac semper fuit Ecclesiarum nostrarum fides hanc acceptam a majoribus servamus seruabimus nec ulla apud nos mentio ullorum a memoria fuit aliquando qui aliter docue runt Ita nos Testamur die 29. Februarii Anno 1668. 1. PAtriarcha Surianae Nationis 2. Andreas Curatus Abdella Choulac Nationis Surianae 3. Curatus Matove N. S. 4. Curatus Abdella Moyl Religiosus Sacerdos N. S. 5. Sacerdos Nam N. S. 6. Sacerdos Benjamin N. S. 7. Curatus Chaida N. S. 8. Sacerdos Abdella Chay N. S. 9. Sacerdos Abraham N. S. 10. Sacerdos Abraham Egeir N. S. 11. Dominus Abraham Sacerdos N. S. 12. Dominus Ioannes Episcopus N. S. 13. Dominus à Deodatus Sacerdos N. S. 14. Dominus Theodorus Sacerdos N. S. 15. Dominus Chacardour Sacerdos N. S. 16. Dominus Gregorius Episcopus N. S. 17. Dominus Baptista Decanus Ecclesiae Beatae Virginis N. S. 18. Dominus Sergius Sacerdos N. S. There are the like Testimonies of the Patriarck and many Bishops and Priestes Armenians dwelling in Aleppo signed the first of March 1668. In like manner all the Armenian Churches agree with the Romans touching the Eucharist in all which are very many under two Patriarcks the one dwelling in Arard a Citty of Armenia whose aboad is in the Monastery of Ermiasin or Heruisin and hath under him 200. Bishops The other Patriarck keeps in Cis a towne of Carmania hauing under him 50. Bishops By what is said Sall may see and must confess that the Ruthenian and Greeck Church the Syrians and Armenians agree with the Romans in the Faith and Doctrin of Transubstantiation Real-presence and Worship due to Christ in the Eucharist Who desires to informe himselfe more at large of what I have here aleaged I remitt him to that excellent learned Treatis thus intitled La perpetuite de la foy de l'Eglise Catholique touchant l'Eucharistie defendue contre le Liure du Seiur Claude Ministre d◠Charanton printed at Paris 1669. What I here set downe and much more hee will finde in the 12. Book of the third Treatice they are in all 4. Vollums in 8. The reading of this excellent worke as I have bine informed converted that famous generall Mareshall de Turene and after him was converted Prince de Tremoile one of the noblest Princes of France and after them many more Persons of quality The Greek and Ruthenian Church Armenians and others agree in more points of Religion with the Romans then with the Protestants of the English Church IT was my happ many years agoe to have perus'd an answer of Father Paul Harris a learned Priest that liu'd in Dublin I knew the man well to a Sermon of Doctor Vsher Protestant Primate of Ardmach or as they us'd to speak of al Ireland a man of great fame made at Wainstad before King Iames anno 1624. In this Sermon the Primat haled into his Church and Communion all those of the Greek and Ruthenian Church Armenians likewise and other Sectarys in the Eastern Church affirming Salvation was found in all those Congregations Father Harris confuted the man shewing evidently that all those differed from Protestants in many substantiall Articles of faith and consequently could not bee of theire Communion and was not this I pray you a pleasant Imagination of Doctor Vsher But let Vsher build his great new Church of Greeks Ruthenians Arminians and English Protestants in the Clouds wee know the Catholick Church is built upon a Rock and will never be destroyd Father Paul Harris in his answer to Vsher speaks thus The Grecians Ruthenians and Armneians defend and maintayne that Baptisme is necessary to salvation and that originall sinn is remitted therby the riged Calvinistes teach the contrary The Greeks Ruthenians c. hold Transubstantiation the Reael-presence of Christes Body and Bloud in the Sacrament and the worship of Latria due there unto the Protestant generally not The Greeks Ruthenians c. hold that good works with faith do justify the Protestants that faith alone doth justify The Greeks c. free will in the best actions the Protestants not the Greeks c. hold seven Sacraments the Protestants not the Greeks c. beleeve Christ dyed for all Godly and wicked the Protestants not but only for the elect they pray and offer Sacrifice for the dead the Protestants not they Invocate Saints and Angells the Protestants not They worship Crosses and Images the Protestant not They hold merit of good works the Protestants not You may see what good Agreement in Articles of
Scriptures wherin those Miracles are found as for Church Miracles they seem to make noe more account of them then of fables or of ridiculous things but holy men and those that feare God doe much esteem them by Church Miracles I first understand such as the most antient fathers have left upon record never questioned never call'd into doubt by any 2. I understand by Church Miracles such as in latter ages have been aproved by the Sea Apostolique chiefly at the Canonization of Saints wherof wittnesses have been produced upon oath and all Imaginable sinserity or severity rather used to avoyd heresies and to make truth openly knowne Wee Catholicks distinguish between the received Miracles of the Church and those which particular men relate wherof some are only probable others Dubious others false the Protestants doth not distinguish them but make all fish that coms to Nett The Catholicks alsoe distinguish the Miracles of Christ and other Miracles those of Christ are immediatly wrought by God and the other by Gods servants but In Nomine virtute Dei soe that Christ is the Magnus Thaumaturgus quia sine illo nihil possumus facere when one baptizeth Saint Augustin doth affirme that Christ doth Baptize with him even soe wee say when any of Gods servants workes a wonder Christ works that Miracle with him and consequently all the Miracles of the Saints are Christs Miracles If Sall and other Protestants shall deny Gods servants to have received from Christ the power of working Miracles I say Sall and his Companions in this doe not beleeve the Prophesie of Christ saying expresly Amen Amen I say unto you hee Ioan. cap. 14. that beleeves in mee the works that I doe hee alsoe shall doe and greater works then these shall hee doe These are Christes owne words who cannot deceive or be deceived For a more exact notice of the nature of Miracles and how they are differenced I remitt my reader to an excellent Treatise printed at Antwerp anno 1674. Thus intitled The Infallibility of the Catholick Church and her miracles Now that Miracles are not Monstrous as Sall prophanely speaks but Glorious and the true seals and Characters of the true Religion and Church the ensuing Chapter will declare XXI CHAPTER Of undeniable Miracles proving the Faith and Sanctity of the true Church Mi ∣ racle 1 VVHen the people of Israel were most devided in matter of Religion and very many of them bended theire knees to Baal the Prophet Elias said to them in zeale and Anger How long halt you of two sides if Lib. 3. cap. 18. our Lord be God follow him if Baal follow him And the people did not answer him aword Such a zealous postulation is necessary to those that are neither hott nor cold in Religion but luke-warme such as the Angells themselves detest Apocall Cap. 3. then the Prophet made a motion to them of clearing the truth in point of Religion between him and the Priests of Baal by that famous undoubted Miracle of burning an Ox upon the Alter without kindling fyre under this way was well approved of by the people and they all answering said a very good proposition Gods Prophet was but one and alone in this conflict and the Prophets of Baal then present 450. The reason wherfore the people willingly condescended to the Prophets proposition was that in common sence they judged that God would not permitt a falshood to be confirmed by Miracle in soe publique a tryall where the veracity of God was soe particularly concerned on the other side the Prophets of Baal durst not refuse soe faire an ofter as Elias made in the presence of all the people fearing they would fall from them and the Worship of Baal their God What end say you had this faire Tryall who had the Victory who but Elias the true servant and Prophet of God The Priestes of Baal began to pray and cry upon Baal theire God with great fervour and many Ceremonyes they cryed till noon-day the tyme the Sacrifice should be burnt but their God Baal sent them noe fyre Then Elias after gering the foolish prayres and exclamations of those 450. Prophane Priestes of the Idol Baal began to pray to the living God in this kind Lord God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel shew this day that thou art the God of Israel and I thy servant and that according to thy Commaundement I have done all these things Heare mee Lord heare mee that these people may learne that thou art our Lord God and that thou hast converted theire hart againe And the fire of our Lord fell and devoured the Holacaust and the wood and the stones licking alsoe the dust and the Water that was in the Water gutter Which when all the People had seen they fell on theire face and said Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Sall two things you may here observe the first that the people of Israel seeing the Miracle of the fyre coming from heaven detested Baal and adored God crying out Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Secondly That the Devills power was here restrained and soe chained that hee was not able to help those Priestes of Baal demaunding fyre from him to burne the Holocaust and soe it is still when Miracles are attempted for the Tryall of truth then only truth will be testifyed and Sathan confounded having noe power to the contrary which is according to that of Saint Mark Our Lord working with Mark cap. 16. all and confirming the Doctrin with signes following And why should not I in this place in the name of the Catholick Church make such an offer to Sall and all his Protestants in England Ireland and Scotland as Elias made to the Priestes of Baal I hope they will be asham'd to refuse it for that were to confess that the Roman Doctrin is true and theirs false The Roman Church the true Church and the Protestants the false Sall let us not delude the people with School subtilitys or obscure Texts of Scripture If the Church of England or Scotland or any other reformed one be the true Church and its Doctrin the true Doctrin let that be try'd by Miracles I shall try ours of Rome by that Test I challenge then all the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England and all those of the Reformation or all the Protestants of the World to work or mention any one Miracle ever yet wrought by any Protestant to confirme any one point of Doctrin or Religion wherin they differ from the Roman Catholick Gentlemen summon your Synods search into all Historyes Prophane and Sacred set your heads to gether and produce at least some probable testimony of as much as one Miracle to grace your Reformations Mi ∣ racle 2 When the same Prophet Elias raised from death to life the child of the Widow of Sareptha of the Sidonians and delivered him to his Mother and Lib. 3. Regum cap. 1â—8 said to her behold
thy sonne liveth And the woeman said to Elias now in this I have knowne that thou art a man of God and the word of our Lord in thy mouth is true Sall wilt thou beleeve that the Miracle made this woeman beleeve Mi ∣ racle 3 When the Prophet Elizeus raised to life the dead child of the Sunamite saying to her Take thy sonne Lib. 4. Regum Cap. 4. Shee came and fell at his feet and adored upon the ground and took her Sonne and went out c. Behold Sall the force of the Miracle Miracle 4 This is a pretious one the preservation of Sidrach Misach and Abdenago three of the Children of Israell in the midst of the flames of burning fyre where they walked in the midst of Dan. Cap. 3. the flame praysing God and blessing our Lord. And did not Nabuchodnozor moved with this Miracle breaking forth say Blessed be the God of Sidrach Misach and Abdenago who had sent his Angell and had delivered his Servants that beleeved in him And after said By mee therfore this decree is made that every people tribe and tongue whatsoever shall speak Blasphemy against the God of Sidrach Misach and Abdenago hee perrish and his house be wasted for there is none other God that can soe save This Miracle made Nabuchodonozor confesse There was noe God could save but the God of Israel In the Law of Grace you will finde that God gave the power of working Miracles to witt of casting out Devills Math. cap. 10. of curing all manner of Infirmityes Where our saviour says to his Diciples And going preach saying That the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Cure the sick raise the dead cleans the lepers cast out Divells gratis you have received gratis give ye Mark Mark cap. 16. 2. Cor. cap. 12. the Evangelist doth attest the same Saint Paul alsoe avouched Miracles for the signes of his Apostle-ship The Miracles of Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles are many and evident as is manifest by undenyable tradition All this being soe goe now Sall and tell thy Protestants Miracles wrought in the Catholick Church are Monstrous But if you will know the Miracles wrought by Hereticks Tertullian in a few words wil give you an account therof hee speaking of the Apostles said Apostoli de mortuis vivos saciebant Tert. de prescr That is The Apostles gives dead men life And then speaking of Marcion Valentinus Nigidius Hermogenes and other Hereticks said Isti de vivis mortuos faciunt These make living men dye soe is it speaking of mens Soules and somtymes of theire Bodyes as the Miracle of Calvin upon the Taylior Bruleus and of a certaine Arian that made aman seeing well quite blinde Another grave Father tells us of another kind of wonders Hereticks doe Invenerunt saith hee Matres quas de captivis monialibus fecerunt mulieres That is Of Nuns who were in theire power as it were captives they made woeman and Mothers Luther Beza Bucer Ochinus Peter Martyr and hundreds more wanton Monks Priests and Apostata's were excellent at working such Miracles Here Sall will tell mee hee makes noe question or doubt of Miracles attested in holy Scripture if soe hee must confess they are undenyable signes and proofs of a true Church and Religion and though they were says hee you cannot conclude other Miracles to be soe hee means Church Miracles and all such as are not found in Scripture these are they hee accounts for Monstrous Yet Luther himselfe confesseth these Words of Christ Hee that beleeveth in mee Iohn cap. 14. the works that I doe hee shall doe and greater Are understood of the power Christ left of working Miracles to the whole Body of the Church in whome this Vertue doth shine for ever and your English Bibles Edit 1576. in the marginall notes referrs this power to the whole Body of the Church A Deo discimus saith Luther accepimus aeternum verbum veritatem Luther Tom. 7. Lib. de Iudois c. fol. 220 Dei hactenus mille quingentis annis Miraculis signis consessam confirmatam That is Wee have learn'd and received from God the eternall Word and Verity of God hither to a thousand and five hundred years to have been confessed and confirmed by Miracles and Wonders But Protestants now a days contradict their holy Father Luther in this particular as all men must who maintaine errors and say when wee press them to relate some of theire Miracles that Miracles are now superfluous and therfore none wrought in the Church And some hold them ridiculous but Sall goes further saying they are Monstrous But I shall aleage some Miracles in Confirmation of the Roman Catholick Doctrin and more especially of Transubstantiation that some Protestants themselves will acknowledg to bee Miracles of undoubted creditt XXII CHAPTER Six Miracles confirming the Doctrin of the Catholick Church touching Transubstantiation and the Adoration of Christ in the Sacrament SAint Nilus relateth how Saint Ghrysostome S. Nilus in Ep. ad Anastasium almost every day had visions of Angells assisting and adoring the blessed Sacrament untill the Sacrifice was finished In the Ecclesiasticall History is recorded this example which Euagrius Euagr. Orthodoxus lib. 4. cap. 35. anno D. 552. writt as a thing notorius and done in his owne Tyme In the Tyme of Patriarck Menas saith hee there happened a Miracle worthy to be remembred It was an ancient Custome in Constantinople A Miracle for the Communion under one Kinde when many Parcels of the pure and unspotted Body of Christ our God were remaining after Communion little Children were caled out of the Schools and were permitted to eat them It happened that a little boy whose Father was a Iew by Profession and a maker of glass by his Trade being among the rest did eat alsoe his share of the aforesaid Reversion of the blessed Sacrament but coming some what late home and his parents demaunding the cause the child told innocently what hee had done which the Iew his Father understanding was soe enraged that unawares to his wife hee cast his little sonne into the burning ouen wherin hee us'd to melt and frame his glass The Mother missing the child sought for him three days together but hearing noe news of him abroad shee returned home with an heavy hart and sitting downe at the work-house house doore shee began to bewail the loss of her Sonne caling him by his name the boy hearing and knowing his Mothers call did answer within the oven where at the woeman starting burst the work-house doore and rushing in espied her child standing amidst the coles without receiving any harme After coming out being demaunded how hee escaped burning soe long a woe man said hee came often Tymes unto mee and brought mee water to quench the force of the fyer wherwith I was invironed and withall gave mee meat as often as I was hungry This accident being told unto the emperoor
aussi That is And you doe the same 2. The Saduceans deny'd a part of Canonicall Scriptures You doe the same 3. The Scribes and Pharasies depraued the Bible You doe soe too 4. The Capharnaits would not beleeve the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Eucharist Nor doe you 5. Simon Magus said God was Author of Sinn deny'd Marriage was a Sacrament deny'd Free-will made a warre against Saint Peter You doe soe too 6. The Menandrens saith Saint Ignatius deny'd the Eucharist the Sacrifice of the Masse and averred the Body of Christ was not there You doe the same 7. The Gnosticks held them selves only wise and learned accused the Fathers of Ignorance Soe doe you 8. The Montanistes vaunted the Holy Ghost was only in theire Church they deny'd Confession and the Sacrament of Pennance Soe doe you 9. The Novatians held that the Church had noe power to remitt Sinn deny'd Confession rejected the Sacrament of Confirmation soe attesteth Saint Ambrose of them deny'd any Superiority in the Church affirmed all th'Apostles were equall and that Saint Peter was not cheefe soe attesteth Theodoret. You doe the same 10. The Catharians rejected the Sacrament of Pennance deny'd Purgatory affirmed Priests ought to Marry You doe the same 11. The Manichees mocked Virginity deny'd Marriage to be a Sacrament reproched Catholicks for VVorshipping Saints broack downe the Images deny'd Free-will mocked Catholicks for having memoryes of the feasts of Martyrs called Catholicks Idolaters for saying Masse for the dead said the Saints did not pray for us Threw away the Reliques of Saints as acurssed and abhominable things held the Eucharist as the Councell of Nice reports was but a Figure that the Body of Jesus Christ was not there You doe the same 12. The Arrians deny'd prayers for the dead would not receive Traditions said Bishops and Priests were equall cast downe Alters and Crosses hated Monks like aplague admitted nothing but the old and new Testament You doe the same 13. Jovinian mocked Celibatt or the state of Continency preferred Marriage to Virginity gested at the Vow of Religion derided Monks detested fasting on Fryday and Saturday and in Lent made noe Distinction between eating and fasting Marryed theire Priestes held that Fasting and Chastity did noe way profitt the Soule that Jesus did pray and fast for us all denyed the meritt of good VVorks affirming Jesus Christ had satisfy'd for all that all were Priestes that aman may live in vvhat Religion hee vvill You doe the same 14. The Waldenses that began the yeare 1160. Mocked the use of Chrisme in Baptisme and Benedictions Mattins and Canonicall Houres prayers to Saints and Lent deny'd Purgatory said Extremunction was noe Sacrament scoffed at prayers for the Dead denyed the power of the Pope derided Pardons and Indulgences said the Devill had invented Monks and Religious Orders held the Priest was as high as the Bishop You doe the same There are about forty Heresies more in said Litanie which for sauing tyme I omitt the same Author says that Luther with his German Apostata's raked up from Hell 404 Heresies Of Calvin I have given you an account in his owne Words Page 124. beginning thus Calvin comme une meschante Arragneé c. What ought to be considered in this place is that the afore mentioned Hereticks and their Heresies have been condemn'd by the Church and generall Councells this being soe I shall pray Sall as hee tenders the Salvation of his owne Soule to examine with how many of these Heresyes are the Protestants infected and how many of them are delivered as Doctrin of the Confession of England in the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England let him look well to what hee hath done it is certaine noe man sound in his witts will drink of a Fountaine wherin snakes and todes spitt theire Poyson no man will stay in a House infected with the plague if hee can gett out The second Advertisment Cleare places of Scripture in many points controverted make for the Catholicks THere is nothing more frequent then Protestants to bragg that Scriptures are for them in all Articles controverted between them and Catholicks This great Evidence they have as they say on theire owne side and therfore they lay a side Traditions ancient Fathers Councells Canons and Schoole Arguments they will stand to noe other Tryall but Scriptures and when they come to this test they are aground and faile quite in produceing formall Scriptures for themselves of the other side wee Catholicks admitt of Councells Fathers Traditions c. for good Evidences in desiding differrence of Religion between us and them which they denying wee bring express places of Scripture which they cannot doe as doth clearly appear in the ensuing Articles and matters controuerted between us them For example-sake wee Catholicks Real-presence for proving the Real-Presence have expressly Math. cap. 26. Ioan. cap. 6. Iac. 2. Iustification This is my Body You have noe where this is the signe of my Body Wee have expressly The Bread that I will give you is my Flesh You have no where It is but the signe of my Flesh. Wee have expressly A man is justifyed by Works and not by Faith only You have noe where A man is justifyed by Faith alone noe nor that hee is justifyed by Faith without works talking of works that follow Faith wherof only our Controvercy is Wee have expressly Whose sinns you forgive Absolution Ioan. cap. 20. are forgiven whose sinns you retaine are retained You have noe where That Priests cannot forgive or retaine sinns on Earth Wee have expressly The doers of the Law shall be justifyed Rom. cap. 2. You have noe where That the Law required at Christians Hands is impossible or that the doing therof justifyes not Christians Wee have expressly Vow ye and render your Vowes Psal cap. 75. Vowes You have no where Vow ye not or if you have vow'd break your Vowes Wee have expressly Keep the Traditions which you have learned Traditions Epist 1 Thess cap. 2. either by Word or Epistle You have noe where The Apostles left noe Traditions to the Church unwritten Wee have expressly Commaundements Math. cap. 19. If thou will enter into life keep the Commaundements And when hee said hee did that already If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all thou hast and give to the poore and follow mee You have no where That either the Commaundements can not be kept or that wee are not bound unto them or that there is noe degree of life one perfecter then another Wee have expressly Work your owne Salvation works Phillip cap. 2. with feare and trembling You have noe where Either that a man can worke nothing towards his owne Salvation being helpt with the grace of God or that a man should make it of his beleefe that hee shall be saved without all doubt or feare Wee have expressly Doe ye worthy frutes Pennance Luc. cap. 3. of Pennance You have noe where That
Faith only is sufficient without all Satisfaction and all other works of Pennance Wee have expressly That every man shall be saved according Apoc. cap. 20. to his works You have noe where That men shall be judg'd only according to theire Faith Wee have expressly That it is a holy Cogitation to Prayer for the Dead 2 Mach. cap. 12. Sacrifice for the Dâ—ad 2 Mach. cap. 12. Voluntary Corporall affliction Daniell cap. 10. Almes Tobias cap. 12. Prayer of Saints for those on Earth 2 Mach. cap. 14. pray for the Dead You have noe where It is Superstition or unlawfull to doe the same Wee have an express example Of an holy man that offered Sacrifice for the Dead You have noe example of any good man that ever reprehended it Wee have expressly That the Affliction which Daniell us'd upon his Body was acceptable in the sight of God You have noe where That such voluntary Corporall afflictions are in vaine Wee have expressly That an Angell did present Tobias his good works and Almes-deeds before God You have noe where that Angells cannot or doe not the same Wee read expressly That Ieremias the Prophet after hee was dead pray'd for the People of Israell You have noe where the contrary to this in express Scripture I leave many places more that I might relate but these are enough to prove that express Scriptures are for us and not for you nor can you shew that wee are driven to deny any one book of the byble or to gloss upon plaine places of Scriptures as you are forced to doe I pray you Sall consider well these things for they touch narrowly your new Religion Further-more I dare give you this Challenge that whereas there have been soe many hundred Heresies for the space of one thousand sixhundred and seventy odd years in the Christian Church condemned and Anathematized by her and her Bishops if it can bee shew'd that the Roman Catholicks doe agree or participate in any one point truly and sincerly that was Iudged for an Heresy in old tyme and that the Roman Catholicks doe hold it in that sence and meaning wherin it was condemned that then wee will yield that our Religion is false and our Church noe true Church But on the other side wee Catholicks offer to shew clearly that you Protestants doe hold divers old and evident Heresyes that were condemned openly for Heresyes by the ancient Catholick Church and in the self-same sence and meaning wherin they were condemned as is evident in the Heresyes of Aerius against Fasting days commaunded by the Church and Prayer for the dead as alsoe of the Heretick Vigilantius that denyed Saints to Old heresys held by Protestants be prayd unto and theire Reliques to be honoured of the Heretick Iovinian that compared Matrimony with Virginity and other like for which wee aleage Epiph. Haeres 75. Hier. cont Vigilantium cont Iovin Aug. lib. de Haeresibus Heres 50. defence pag. 15. Doct. Fulke against Bristowes Motius pag. 54. the cleare testimonys of Saint Epiphanius Saint Hierome and Saint Augustin and the matter is soe cleare that Doctor Fulk his words are brought in against Doctor Bristo's motives saying that Epiphanius and Augustin were deceived in recording those for Heresyes which are not And that Ierome rather rayleth then reasoneth and that Vigilantius was a good man and his opinion sound Sall you see Mr. Fulk a grave Doctor in your Church drawne to that extremity in this point that hee is forced to Iudge Epiphanius and Augustin two grave and ancient Doctors and Saints alsoe to have beene deceived and Saint Ierom to have rather railed then reasoned and infine to say that Vigilantius a pestiferious condemned Heretick was a good man and his opinion sound Good Doctor Fulk you sore to high when you dare judge Doctors pillars of Gods Church to haue been deceiued can not wee say to you Fulk Quis te constituit iudicem Upon those eminent Doctors Sall this ought to trouble you in your new Religion that one of the graue Rabbins of your Church hath showd himselfs soe foolish and impious as to preferre Vigillantius a Notorious Heretick's Opinion to the Iudgment of three soe renowned Fathers in a matter concerning faith Speake my Frindâ—â—â— speak truth and shame the Devill is not this an intollerable presumption in your Fulk an obscure man not knowne out of the Iland of Brittain Sall I pray put these things together 1. That hee that houldeth any one Heresie can not be saued soe teacheth Scripture A man that is an Heretick after Ad Titum Cap. 3. the first and second Admonition auoyd knowing that hee that is such an one is subverted and sinneth being condemned by his owne Iudgment 2. It is confessed by both parts that only a true Roman Catholick can be saued as was declar'd aboue in pag. 40. 41. 42. and 43. as Doctor King Bishop of London proves out of your owne learned men and writers and cleare it is that hee that holdeth any Heresie cannot be a true Roman Catholick for that the Names and Natures of the things are repugnant and consequently if any Protestant of the English Church doth hold any one confessed Heresie hee cannot bee saued Now the cited Doctors have evidently showne and prou'd The now Church of England holdeth many Heresyes wherfore it cannot be the true Church and consequently those dying in that Church and Religion can not be sau'd Doctor Fulk saying those learned Fathers Epiphanius Augustin and Hierome were deceived and that Vigilantius the Hereticks Opinion was sound is a weak ground to rely upon in the present Doctrin and points of Faith and none but a madd man or in a fury of blinde zeal will give him creditt against those most holy and learned Fathers This is a high and dangerous point Sall you had need look well unto it The third Advertisment A dissention in Fundamentall points and Articles being between Protestants they must hold on another for Hereticks Ergò Sall if he mindes his Salvation will part from that Church IN the true Church the beleevers in all Countrys and places agree in all Articles of Faith as it is in the Roman Catholick Church and as it was in the Tyme of the Apostles as this Text signify's And the multitud of the beleevers Actor Cap. 4. Irinaeus c. 1. l. 1. had one hart and one Soule Saint Irinaeus excellently teacheth this Quam accepit Praedicationâ—m fidem Ecclesia diligenter custodit quasi unam domum inhabitans similiter credit quasi unam animam habens unum coâ— consonanter haec praedicat docet tradit quasi unum possidens cor That is The Church keeps diligently the Faith and preaching shee received as if the whole Church were dwelling in one House shee likewise beleeveth as if all the beleevers had but one Soule and one hart and shee preacheth and teacheth and delivereth all points of Faith as if all the beleevers had
hand of God All which Articles saith this Doctor doth Calvin willfully corrupt in his expositions in the favour of Iewes Arians and other such enemyes of Christ which hee proveth by alleadging above forty or fifty places citing Calvins owne words and commentaryes therupon soe clearly and perspicuously against sence and expositions of all holy Fathers that if his commentaryes therin were to bee admitted those foure named points or Articles of Christian Religion can not be defended against the force and adversaryes of Christes name And is not this a brotherly agreement between Lutherans and Calvinistes in Principall points and misteryes of Religion but the Lutherans have the best of it for wheras Luther and his followers to this day condemne the Calvinists as Hereticks especially for not beleeving the Body of Christ to bee realy and substantially present in the Sacrament of the Altar the Protestants of England who are Calvinists and deny the Real-presence hold Luther for a holy man and theire Father and hold all the Lutherans theire very deare bretheren in Christ as Doctor Whitaker above cited doth averre To leave Germany and to speak of the Professors of Protestanisme in England Scotland doe not many of them entertaine quarrells and falings-out among themselves about Principall Articles of Religion doe not the greatest part by much of the Protestants in England hold the King is supreme head of the Church all of one opinion with the Bishops maintaine this as an Article of Religion in that Protestant Church but the Protestants of Geneva and all depending upon theire Doctrin in France and elswhere doe not hold this Kingly supremacy for an Article of Faith and are not Catholicks punished by Law and somtymes put to death for denying this supremasy which would be a meer murthering of them and the greatest cruelty in the World if those that put them to death did not hold that supremecy to be an Article of Faith Now if you will be pleas'd to demaund what those Protestants in England and Scotland caled Presbiterians or Puritans say to this Article they flattly deny this supremacy to be an Article of Faith though none of them did ever suffer death for denying the same nay they are esteemed not with standing theire opinion in this to be of the Protestants communion A gaine all Protestants that follow the Bishops hold the dignity and superiority of Arch-Bishops and Bishops to be agrecable to Gods word and as the Devines speak de Iure Devino and what say the Presbiterians to this By theire Champion Martin Mar-Prelate and his mutenous moke-bates that band under his cullors cry all of them in the Name of the Lord as Thomas Rogers doth attest That the calling of Bishops is In his Sermon printed by Iohn windet 1590. pa. 13. unlawfull that they be Ministers of Antichrist worss then Fryers and Monks Deuills Bishops and Deuills In-carnate Sall you must grant mee these dissentions between Protestants and Protestants in England and Scotland about the Kings supremacy and the Order and Dignity of Bishops are not Triueall but Fundamentall and they have been now many years contending in theire Writings and Conferrences and still are about these points and others that are the very sinews and Soule of theire Religion in endless quarrells and Contensions If that were my Business I could sett downe many and great differrences quarells and contensions between these two kinde of Protestants In this place I think it pertinent to say somthing particularly of the Protestants called Presbiterians who were neuer by any act of Parlament that wee could heare of proscribed from the Communion of the Protestants that stick to the Religion of the King and the Bishops Impiety Fury and Rebellion gave beginning to this Sect and Religion in Scotland as hath been aboue said in Page 164. and 165. They had two Reformations the first was begun by Iohn Knox an Apostata Priest and though his Reformation was ungodly and unreasonable the second was farre more unreasonable and ungodly A Presbiterian that was converted to the Catholick Faith describes the Presbiterian Piety in this kinde There was among us a pretext of Piety but wee had not the substance of it wee had indeed much preaching praying fasting and such like exercises but our long preachings were nothing but continuall prayses of the Covenant the solemne League which they cry'd up to the heavens butt wee omitted as our Saviour observed of the Pharisies the weighty Matters of the Law as Iudgment Mercy and Faith Our Ministers told us wee were the happiest People of the World for they said wee only of all Nations had the honour to be Covenanters with God and that wee had the truth of the Ghospell in greater purity then Geneva it selfe that wee had soe cleare a light that the like had not shined to any Nation since the tymes of the Apostles yea one who was esteemed a principall Apostle among us did not stick to say in the pulpitt amidst the many Miserys Confusions and Troubles which then lay upon this Church and Nation That the Angells and Saints of heaven if they could leave the sight of God would be glad to come downe and see the admirable beauty of the Presbiterian Church of Scottland Soe farre this new Catholick And was not this ridiculous preacher with the beauty of his Scottish Kirck a great Hipocrite and Pharisie It was much observed that shortly after solemne fastes of Presbiterians the country and state was allways sure of some unhappy claps the puritan fast was still fatal and ordinarily a preparation to some violence or evill worke that was intended this made many understand what Queene Mary Stuart meant by that famous saying That shee was as much affraid of a fast of the Ministers as of an Army of Souldiers for experience taught her that those fasts were prognostick signes of ensuing tempests theire long prayers alsoe did not prove them to be Saints more then the like did sanctify the Pharasyes they bragged much of the spiritt but shew'd noe fruites therof these bee the fruites of the spiritt which Saint Paul recounts to the Galatians The fruite of Ad Galat. cap. 5. the spiritt saith hee is love joy peace long suffering Gentelnesse goodness Faith meekness c. This second Presbiterian â—eformation beganne with a prodigious abolishment of all holy things Mala arbor Malos fructus faciâ— 1. They condemned and cast downe Episcopacy this they doe whersoever they have power quite contrary to the Law of God for Episcopacy is de Iure Divino This order and degree they abhor'd as Tyrannicall and Anti-Christian yet Saint Paul writing to Timothey saith If a man desireth a Bishops Office hee desireth 1. Tim. cap. 3. a good thing The Apostle likewise affirmeth that Bishops are to Order Priests and Iudge them wherfore hee saith in his Epistle to Titus That hee left Ad Titum Cap. 1. him in Cret to Order Priestes by Cittys By this it is plaine and evident that
againe can say to Protestants that wee are noe way obliged to prove our Church is the true Church and our Keligion the true Religion though wee can evidently prove both It is enough to tell the Protestants the Roman Catholick Church whilest evidences coms not against it stands firme upon its ancient right of Possession OLIM POSSIDEO PRIOR POSSIDEO This long and lawfull Possession proves the Church Orthodox and frees us from all Obligation of disputing the reason above hinted is that the Protestants Protestants because Agressors are obliged to prove theire charge and claime are the Actors and Agressors and therfore it s theire taske to prove ours only to defend which is easy If you marke how strangely in vaine they make theire attempts against us observe it After our Church had stood a thousand years and more in the quiet Possession of truth they accuse it of Error After soe many thousands of learned and vertuous men that lived holily and dyed happily in it ye and had eyes as quick Iudgments as profounde and wills as good to find out these Errours had any beene as the best of Sectaries yet found none they forsooth espy them After this Church had its Purity The Churchss Purity and Innocency and Innocency signed and sealed by the blood of innumerable Martyrs evidenced by undoubted Miracles manifested by soe many glorious Conversions wrought on Aliens drawne to Christ and finally demonstratively proved by all these illustrious marks of truth wherof wee treated aboue our Protestants rise up and Calumniate this great Society of Christians lay the foule Aspersion of Heresy on it Are not they think you as Actors obliged in Iustice to make theire charge good against us by evident proofes And are not wee exempted from all farther Obligation Proued by a long Possession of pleading then only to stand upon our ancient blameless and quiet Possession Beleeve it This OLIM POSSIDEO PRIOR POSSIDEO is warant sufficient and our Wall of defense against such weak Aggressors And yet wee strengthen our hold with Canon proofe it is evident reason alsoe And evidenâ— reason alsoe Nemo praesumitur malus nisi probetur No Man upon vaine presumption ought to bee accounted naught unless reason prove him a delmquent For Example Give mee a loyall Subject that hath done wonders and great service for his Prince that hath An Instance enlarged his Kingdome gained him Frinds defeated his Enemyes and yet is struggling to doe him more Service Whose repute was neuer stayned nor fame blemished c. Suppose now That a smale knot of unknowne men should offer at some small or inconsiderable proofs And with these endeavour to impeach him of treason would not the Prince think you either require evidences to be brought in against soe worthy a subject or reject these Accusers as unworthy of credit yes most assuredly This is our case though noe Instance taken from private men can parrallel the fidelity of the Church towards Christ the Roman Catholick Church The Church evidently hath proved her fidelity to Christ I speak of noe other for there is none hath faithfully done great Service for the King of Kings Christ Iesus it hath dilated his empire far and neer it hath defeated his Enemys perfidious heathens gained him Frinds and innumerable Servants It yet struggles Maugre all attempts against it to promote his honour and gaine him more It has beene of an unspotted same Hither toe of unspotted and accounted pure without blemish till now at last a smale inconsidâ—rable knot of Protestants Impeach it of Treason and make it a Rebell against the King whome fame before Sectaries Impeachment it hath served soe long and faithfully What then doth our Lord Iesus and all Iustice too require of these Accusers but Evidence Yes and if possible more then Evidente is Necessary to make theire charge good against this Church It hath evident proof enough of its fidelitity Iustice in this charge requires evidence not unproved Cavills by its faithfull long Service by its hitherto irreprehensible Purity allowed for a thousand years and upwards and therfore cannot bee supposed a delinquent upon meer Cavils or for things which look like proofs but when examined are noe sooner weighed then cast away as weightless For all this wee Catholicks find it noe hard matter to prove the Roman Catholick Church the only true Orthodox Church out of which there is noe Salvation and to prove this by an undubitable Principle which cannot bee shaken even this short Argument will doe it Christ Iesus founded a Catholick Church which as hee promiseth should never faile Et porâ—ae inseri non praenalebunt adversus eam And therfore Math. cap. 16. could never bee forsaken by him Take the reason for no Monarch that lays the foundation of a kingdome and obliges himselfe to take care of it can without iniustice abandon it unless a contrary power or great negligence deprive him of his right none can bee more powerfull then Christ and I hope those Protestants of the English Church will not make him guilty of negligence or Iniustice ergò hee still defends the militant Church a most deare Kingdome which hee establisht with his owne bloud Take this other Argument A Church which hath converted whole Author of Protestancy without Principles c pa. 409 Kingdoms and Nations from infidelity to Christ by working Miracles casting out of Deuills great austerity of life and efficacy of Doctrin evident and convincing Arguments of truth and drawne innumerable Soules from a tepid life to pennance and mortification from the contents of the world to a contempt of it from selfe-love to a perfect self-abnegation must either bee deseruedly named the true Church of Christ or else the Apostolicall Church was not the Church of Rome only hath by the assistance of God done those wonders therfore it is the true Church or there was never any true upon earth Deny these Conversations made by our Catholick Society and you deny what is most evident grant them and you subscribe to Popery Ergò This Learned Author after severall Arguments and considerations makes the ensuing inferences The Roman Catholick Church was once the true Church Sectarys confesse it once it was built on Christ once it taught Christian verityes without errour once it was owned by Christians for Christes School once it evangelized the word of God purly Therfore if God bee yet as favourable unto Soules as hee was anciently if hee substract not meanes from us Necessary to saluation if his gifts bee unchangable if his intention of settling truth for ever amongst Christians alter not if hee blest his owne Society as well with truth as with the consolation of Grace this Catholick Roman Church and noe other once true was is and shall ever be soe for the future Ecclesia invicta res est they are knowne words of agreat Doctor etsi Infernus ipsâ— Commoveatar The Church is Invincible and continues
the Presbiterians gain-say Saint Paul Hee saith the office of a Bishop is a good worke and they say it is Tyrannicall and Anti-Christian wherin they show themselves prophane presumptious fellows in seeking to distroy the Doctrin of the Holy Ghost pronounced by the Mouth of the great Apostle two evills they doe in this They contradict the Oracle of God secondly they incurre the curses threatned by the Prophet Woe unto them who call evill good and Isay Cap. 1. good evill Let us for confounding those Presbiterians cite in this Matter some of the ancient Fathers Saint Augustin upon that place of Saint Paul who seeks a Bishops Office desireth a good thing saith th' Apostle would show what the Office of a Bishop is to witt A Name of Aug. lib. 19. deCivi Dei cap. 19. Labour and not of honour that hee may know himself not to be a Bishop who desires to preside and not to profitt Saint Hierom says That in the primative Church the calling of a Bishop was the next degree to Martyrdom wherfore saith hee the Office of a Bishop being soe Hier. Ap. Cornel. in hunc Loc. high and excellent soe hard and dangerous it was noe wonder th' Apostle required many excellent quallitys and vertues in a Bishop to exercise profitably his Office which Saint Paul calls a good worke Saint Ignat. Epist ad Tarscens Ignatius Bishop of Antioch Disciple of th' Apostles and a holy Martyr describes an excellent subordination of Pastors in the Church Priests saith hee be subject unto your Bishops Deacons unto Priests and you People unto Priests and Deacons who shall observe this comlyness of Order I would willingly change my Soule with theirs and our Lord be with them for ever 2. The second comly worke of the Presbiterians Reformation was to lay a side the Lords prayer and to put it out of use and creditt and all sett Prayers was not this a horrible Tentation of the Deuill What more sublime holy and devine then our Lords Prayer Christ made this Prayer the Scripture containes it our Saviour taught his Disciples to say it when you pray said Christ say Father hallowed Luke cap. 11. be thy Name Children learn this Prayer sucking theire Mothers Brest The Church of God hath ever esteem'd and practis'd it wherfore th'Abollishment of the Lords Prayer must come Tert. lib. de oratio from the Deuill there is noe way of excusing it This Prayer is short devine and substantiall according to that of Tertulian Our Lords Prayer is short in words but large in sense The Waldenses defended an error just Gualter Chron. Saecul cap. 11. de VVal. Errore conttary to this of the Presbiterians for they maintain'd noe other Prayer should be said noe other forme to be admitted but this of the Lords Prayer this had som collour of Piety and speciall respect done to that devine Prayer but to abollish it as the Presbi exâ—ans have done is a most execrable Impiety Could a Christian man beleeve there would be Christians found on Earth that would contemne this devine Prayer instituted by Christ Iesus and commaunded to be sayd commended by the holy Fathers and practised by the whole Church tyme out of memory and speak contumeliovsly against the use of it A great Rabbin and Preacher of the Covenant called publickly the use of saying often the Lords Prayer a Papisticall Charme and another Minister in Galloway did Glory that hee had bannished The impious words of a Minister out of his Parish two Idols to wit Our Father which c. And God of Glory and peace c. A short Grace that was said ordinarily after meat but a Lay-man answered the impudent Minister in these Words If you have bannished these two which you call Idols I feare you will bring in worss Idols in theire place O God! thy Patience is great with these prophane wicked men the seed of Canaan Qui claudunt ora Laudantium te And that forbid men to speak to your devine Majesty in a Prayer made by your Sonne Iesus and commaunded by him to be sayd by all 3. From Laying aside the Lords Prayer the Presbiterians goe a stepp farther in theire holy Reformation what think you doe they a wicked business They abollish that hymne of praysing God usually sayd in the end of each Psalme Glory to the Father the sonne and Holy Ghost c. even by the Protestants themselves singing the Psalmes which hymne doubtless had its begining out of holy Scripture as this passage of Saint Iohn may testifye And saith the Saint A voyce came out from Apocal. cap. 19. v. 19. the throne saying say prays to our God all ye his servants and you that feare him little and great The Presbiterians in theire hott zeal contradict Saint Iohn and hinder little and great to sing this mellodious hymne of prayse to the Holy Trinity can any thing bee more impious then men acknowledging the Mistery of the Blessed Trinity If Presbiterians doe acknowledg it to abollish this divine Hymne wherby the Trinity is glorifyed It happened after they had agreed upon this ungodly Reformation that the People in the Church singing the Psalms and knowing nothing of the determination they had made coming to the end of a Psalme sayd as they were wont to doe Glory to the Father to the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost c. The Presbitertan Minister hearing them cry'd out in a fury noe less ridiculously then scandelously Noe more Glory to the Father noe more Glory to the Father c. Was ever the like heard among Christians The Arians who deny'd the Divinity of Christ and that hee was equall to his Father did mainly strive to change and pervert this Hymne for as they had changed the forme of Baptisme by saying I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father by the Sonne in the Holy Ghost Baron Tom. 3. Anno 323. N. 174. Soe alsoe they corrupted this Hymne of Glorification by singing Glory to the Father by the Sonne in the Holy Ghost But the great Saint Basile shewes how Basil ad Amphilich dispute 5. the Hymne of Glorification was used from the tyme of th' Apostles for when the Sacrament of Baptisme was administred by the Priest when hee said I baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost The faithfull present answered Glory bee to the Father to the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost The Holy Counsell of Niâ—e was pleased to add to the said Hymne this Appendix As it was in the begining and now and ever shall be World without end Amen Which clause appears in my Iudgmentâ— like a Prophesy serving not only for the Confusion of th' Arians but alsoe of the Presbiterians 4. What more holy things did remaine in the Church to bee reformed by the Presbiterian congregation The Creed stood in theire way they would have it discredited and not to bee esteemed or caled
Apostolicale will you heare these holy men speake in theire owne Cathechisme Albe it say they the substance of the Doctrine comprised Catebhisme VVest infine in the abridgment commonly called th' Apostles Creed be fully sett forth in each of the Cathechismes soe as there is noe necessity of incerting the Creed it selfe Yet it is here anexed not as though it were composed by the Apostles What new masters or rather Monsters are these What ungodly pestiferrous Doctrin is this to say and teach the Creed is a human Collection and not made by the Apostles this they declared as was said and after such Declaration they did not say it neither did they require it to be said any more of others as the custome was formerly at Babtising infants all this they did to put the Creed out of Estimation and use now this Innovation calling the Creed in question the beleevers therafter could be sure of nothing Thus the Presbyterians indeavered to dash th' Authority of the Cymbol the principall foundation of Religion O abomination of furious zealots that would change the Apostolicall Creed which was taught for such and soe beleeved and esteemed in all ages by the consent of all Christian Nations and said dayly by all the Servants of God young and old But against the Impiety of those men wee have the Authority and Testimony of all the ancient Fathers for the Credit and Estimation of the Creed Cardinall Barronius in the first tome of Baron Tom. 1. Annal. an 44. N. 15. seq his Annals doth shew by the Testimony of the holy and ancient Fathers that the Creed was composed by the holy Apostles a little before they were to part and goe into severall Countryes to preach the Ghospell unto the Gentils to the end there might bee a certaine short cleare rule of Faith in which they all agreed wherin they were to instruct all persons and by which as by a certaine badge all Christians might be knowne Be pleased now to heare the Fathers speak of the Symbol Saint Ambrose saith Let us beleeve the Symbol S. Amb. Serm. 18. Epist 81. of the Apostles which the Roman Church doth ever preserve and keepe inviolate Saint Hierom saith The Symbol of our Faith and hope which was delivered by th' Apostles is not written in Paper or Ink but in the fleshly Tables of the hart Saint Augustin speaks thus The comprehension Aug. Serm. 42. de trad and perfection of our Faith is the Creed It is simple saith hee short and full That its simplicity might serve the rudeness its shortness the Memory And its fullness the Instruction of the hearers Else where hee saith this is a Symboll brief in words but large in Misteryes for whatsoever is declared in the Scriptures or foretold by the Prophets c. is contained and briefly confessed in it To show the excellency of the Creed which is therfore to be often sayd Saint Augustin speaks thus Render Aug. homil fortitu your Symboll render it unto the Lord be not weary to rehearse it the repitition of it is good least forgetfullness creep one thee doe not say I sayd it yesternight I sayd it to day I say it every day I have it well Remember thy Faith Behold thy selfe let thy Creed be a mirrour unto the there see thy selfe if thou beleeve all that thou confessest thy selfe to beleeve and rejoyce dayly in thy Faith Let it be thy Riches the dayly apparell of thy Soule Doe you not cloath your selfe when you rise Soe by remembring thy Creed cloath thy Soule least per-adventure forgetfullness make it naked Saint Ambrose cales this the Seale of our Ambr. lib. 3. de Virgin Tom. 4. hart which wee ought dayly to review and the Watch-word of a Christian which should bee in a readiness in all dangers Wee have the Creed by an assured Tradition and Testimony of the Church which Saint Augustin holds of noe less certainty then the Scriptures as is signifyed by these words I would not have beleeved saith the Saint Aug. Cont. Epist fund Cap. 5. the Ghospell unless the Authority of the Catholick Church had moved mee c. And that Authority being once weakned neither can I beleeve the Ghospell Seeing these Presbiterians have abollished the Authority of the Crâ—ed saying it is not Apostolicall what in Gods-name have these Doctors given to the People in place of the Symboll The holy Covenant and as the Creed is denyed by these men to be Apostolicall soe is the Covenant cry'd up to be Divine for they call it Gods Covenant and the Confession of the Scottish Kirck This was truly a rare exchange to deny the Creed to be Apostolique and to cry up the Covenant to be devine To Rob us of a most ancient clear briefe positive sacred Confession of Faith made by the holy Apostles famous in all ages and Universally received throughout the whole world full of great Misteryes and divine Expressions and to give us in place of it a new long obscure negative Confession or rather noe Confession of Faith full of terrible oathes Execrations and Combinations devised by some few discontented heads and by cunning and force obtruded upon the Nation much suspected at the beginning to bee nothing but a meere pretence of Religion as it was notoriously known to be a humane Invention and as it 's now at length after all its disguises manifested for such unto the World It 's good fame hath not lasted long neither at home nor a broad It gott some footing in England by cunning and worldly interest but these soone failing it was quickly detected and rejected The Christian Mediator sayth to this purpose That the last Reformation Christ Mod. pag. 2. settled with soe solemne a Covenant and carryed on with soe furious a zeal is already by better lights discovered to be meerly humane and therfor deseruedly layd aside These are the words of the converted Presbyterian Sall I would now faine know what is your Iudgement of these kinde of Protestants perhaps you will say they are noe Protestants but Geneva the acknowledged school of English and Scottish Protestants will tell you that Presbiterians are the purest Protestants of all and for ought I could ever learne the Church of England held and holds them soe according to Doctor Whitakers manner of speaking Tell mee Sall have you ever seen any act of Parlament in England declaring that Presbiterians are not Protestants or any penal lawes enacted against them noe such thing though they differ as was said from the Episcopall or Royall Protestants in fundamentall points of Religion that of the order and dignity of Episcopacy which they hold to bee Anti-Christian and Tyranicall and noe way de Iure Divino The other of the kings supremacy in Spiritualibus which they flatly deny they alsoe differ from the Kings Protestants in abollishing the Lords prayer and the Hymne of Glorification to the B. Trinity and in denying the Greed to be Apostolicall