part spotted with doctrine of Free-will of Merits of Inuocation of Saints and such like And page 473. he saith Surely you are not able to reckon in any age since the Apostles times any company of Bishops that taught and held so sound doctrine in all points as the Bishops of England doe at this day Whereupon Luther in his booke De seruo arbitrio tom 2. Wittenb 1551. affirmeth the Fathers to haue been blinde and most ignorant in the Scriptures to haue erred al the time of their liues from his doctrine and that vnlesse they were amended before their deathes they were neither Saints nor pertaining to the Church of Protestants And in his Colloquijs mensalibus he saith In the Writings of Hierome there is not a word of true faith in Christ and sound religion Tertullian is very superstitious I hold Origen long since accursed Of Chrysostome I make no account Basil is of no worth he is wholly a Monke Cyprian is a weake Diuine The Apologie of Philip Melancthon doth farre excell all the Doctors of the Church and exceede euen Augustine himselfe POMERAN a Protestant vpon Ionam saith Our Fathers whether holy or not holy I esteeme nothing they haue been blinded with the Spirit of Montanus by humane traditions and doctrine of diuels c. They doe not teach purely of Iustification Beza in his Preface vpon the New Testament Dedicated to the Prince of Condy printed 1587. affirmeth That euen in the best times the ambition ignorance and lewdnesse of Bishops was such that the very blinde may easily perceiue how Satan was President in their assemblies or Councels because they taught opposite doctrine to the doctrine of the Protestants of this age Whereupon Perkins in his Exposition of the Creede page 400. in behalfe of himselfe and all Protestants saith Wee say that before the dayes of Luther for the space of many hundred yeares an vniuersall Apostasie from Protestantisme as hee meaneth ouer-spread the whole face of the earth and that our Church of Protestants was not visible to the world And many more Protestants confesse that the Faith or doctrine which Protestants now teach and professe hath been no where visibly knowne published or preached since the Apostles times vntil Luther as is set down more at large in the Protestants Apologie for the Roman Church And it is of it selfe so manifest that no Protestant hath hitherto bin able to assigne in the time betweene the death of the Apostles and rising of Luther one onely Protestant Minister Doctor Writer or Teacher that held professed or taught the doctrine which Protestants doe now hold and teach Whereby it is manifest that in all that time which is about the space of one thousand foure hundred yeares there were no knowne Protestants but all knowne Christians who liued within the compasse of these yeares were either Roman Catholikes or reputed Heretikes by both parties Whereupon we rightly inferre that all knowne Christian men who liued in all ages since the time of the Apostles vntill the rising of Luther knowne Heretikes and so reputed by both partie onely excepted doe testifie that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was Author of the Catholike Romaine Faith euery Christian beleeuing that our Lord Iesus Christ was the Author of this Religion and Planter thereof vpon earth Now that there were knowne Roman Catholikes liuing and being during these fourteene hundred yeares Protestants themselues confesse Fulke in his Treatise against Stapleton page 25. affirmeth Some Protestants haue written that the Pope hath blinded the world these many hundred yeares some say a thousand some one thousand two hundred some nine hundred And the same Protestant in his retentiue Motiues pag. 248. speaking of Leo and Gregory Bishops of Rome the first of them liuing about the yeare of our Lord 440. and the second of them about 590. saith The mystery of iniquitie so he calleth the Pope and our Catholike Faith wrought in the Sea of Rome neare fiue or six hundred yeares before them MIDLETON in his Papisto-mastix page 193. affirmeth saying Wee are sure that the mysterie of iniquitie so he pleaseth to call the Pope and our Catholike Faith did worke in Pauls time and fell not a sleepe as soone as Paul was dead c. and therefore no maruell though perusing Councels Fathers and Stories from the Apostles forward wee finde the print of the Popes feete SEBASTIAN FRANCVS in his Epistle De abrogandis Statutis ecclesiasticis affirmeth That for certaine through the worke of Antichrist so he calleth the Pope and our Catholike Faith the externall Church of Protestants together with the Faith and Sacraments vanished away presently after the Apostles departure So potent were the Pope and Roman Catholikes euen in the Apostles times that presently after the Apostles departure they were able to make the externall Church of Protestants together with the Faith and Sacraments of Protestants vanished away as this Protestant affirmeth Brokard in his Treatise vpon the Reuelations pag. 110. affirmeth That the Church of Protestants was troden downe and oppressed by the Papacie euen from Syluesters time vnto these times Which he there and page 123. accounteth to haue been for the space of 1260. yeares Napper in his Treatise vpon the Reuelations pag. 68. saith Betweene the yeare of Christ 300. and 316. the Antichristian and Papisticall raigne began raigning vniuersally and without any debatable contradiction 1260. yeares and pag. 145. he saith euen 1260. yeares the Pope and his Cleargie hath possessed the outward visible Church of Christians Yet the Pope and his Cleargie could not come to raigne vniuersally and without any debatable contradiction vpon a sudden as wee see by experience in Protestant Ministers who haue beene now about an hundred yeares and yet doe not reigne or possesse their Religion in any one Countrey without some opposition whereby it is manifest that the Pope and his Cleargie were many hundred yeares before they could obtaine to reigne vniuersally without any debatable contradiction Downham in his Treatise of Antichrist lib. 2. cap. 2. pag. 25. affirmeth That the generall defection of the visible Church foretold in the second of the Thessalonians which hee esteemeth to haue beene wrought by the Pope and Roman Catholikes began to worke in the Apostles times Caelus secundus Curio in his booke De amplitudine Regni Dei lib. 1. pag. 43. saith Are we ignorant in how great darkenesse blindnesse and ignorance so he calleth our Catholike Faith the world hath continued almost from the Apostles age to these very times in which aboue all expectation our Lord began to manifest himselfe And Perkins vpon the Creed page 307. affirmeth That during the space of nine hundred yeares the Popish heresie so he pleaseth to call the Catholike Roman Faith hath spread it selfe ouer the whole earth whereby appeareth that it was fiue or sixe hundred yeares before since it could not spread it selfe of a sudden ouer the whole earth And by these confessions of Protestants themselues and by many
testimonies of our Sauiour himselfe may finde so much grace and fauour with your Maiesty as to be credited it is manifest that by this testimony and description of his Church that he was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith CHAP. XII Wherein is proued by the testimony of the Apostles that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith FIRST Saint Peter speaking of the estate of the Church planted by our Sauiour saith MOYSES indeed said that a Prophet shal the Act. ◠22. Lord your God raise vp to you of your brethren as my selfe him shal you heare according to al things whatsoeuer he shal speake to you And it shal be euery soule that shal not heare that Prophet shal be destroyed out of the people And al the Prophets from Samuel and afterward that haue spoken could of these dayes you are the children of the Prophets and of the Testament which God made to our Fathers saying to Abraham and in thy seed shal all the Families of the earth be blessed To you first God raising vp his Sonne hath sent him blessing you That this Seed heere spoken of is the Church of Christians our Sauiour and Saint Paul do witnesse saying The good seed those are the children of the Kingdome Againe If you Matth. 13. 38. Galath 3. 29. be Christs then are you the seed of Abraham heires according to promise That this blessing can no way bee verified vpon Protestantisme is manifest for that it vanished away presently after the time of the Apostles and for faureteene hundred yeares together there is not to be found one man that professed it much lesse one Family or all the Families of the earth That this blessing in generall hath been verified vpon Roman Catholikes Protestants themselues confesse some Protestants affirming that Papistry hath been spread ouer the world for nine hundred yeares some for a thousand some for twelue hundred and some for more as it is set downe in the third Chapter So if the testimony of Saint Peter Moyses and all the Prophets from Samuel and afterward may finde so much grace and fauour with your Maiestie as to be credited they all affirme that our Sauiour was to bee the Author of our Catholike Romane Faith And supposed that there were Protestants in our Sauiours and the Apostles times who after their departure vanished away as Protestants affirme it is manifest by the testimony of Moses and Saint Peter that they were enemies of Christian Religion and so were destroyed from among the people according to the words of Moyses and Saint Peter saying Euery soule that shal Act. 3. Deut. 18. not heare that Prophet shal be destroyed out of the people Secondly Saint Poter speaking of the estate of the Church saith Behold I put in Syon a principall corner-stone 1. Pet. 2. elect preciaus And he that shal beleeue in him shal not be confounded To you therefore that beleeue honor but to them that beleeue not the stone which the builders reiected the same is made into the head of the corner and a stone of offence and a Rocke of scandall to them that stumble at the Word c. But you who beleeue are an elect generation a Kingly Priesthood a holy Nation a people of purchase that you may declare his vertues which from darknesse hath called you into his marueilous light Now supposed that there were Protestants in our Sauiours time yet these words of Saint Peter cannot be verified vpon them that they should not bee confounted but honored and made an elect generation a Kingly Priesthood or holy Nation a people of purchase to declare our Sauiours vertues in fulfilling the promises by conuerting the Gentiles to the Christian Faith Since they vanished away presently after the departure of the Apostles Thirdly Saint Paul describing the estate of the Church to come saith Christ ascending on high he led captiuity captiue he gaue gifts to men And he gaue some Ephes 4. 8. Apostles and some Prophets and other some Euangelists and other some Pastors and Doctors to the consummation of the Saints vnto the worke of the Ministery vnto the edifying of the body of Christ vntill we meet all into the vnitie of Faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God that now we be not children wauering and carried about with euery winde of doctrine in the wickednesse of men in craftinesse to the circumuention of error So Saint Paul describing the estate of the Church to come If this be spoken of the Church of Protestants where were their Protestant Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastors and Doctors for fourteene hundred years together Since for all that time they are not able to assigne one man who held the doctrine they now hold much lesse one Apostle Euangelist Pastor or Doctor and yet Saint Paul saith that they should teach and preach truth euen vnto the Consummation of the Saints that the Church might not be wauering and carried about with euery winde of doctrine in the wickednesse of men wherby we see that if Saint Paul were a true Apostle and Prophet the Church of Protestants is a false Church That this Prophecie of S. Paul is verified vpon Roman Catholikes is manifest for that Romane Catholikes haue had Doctors Preachers and Teachers in all ages as we haue proued in the first second and third Chapters Againe Saint Paul speaking of the estate of the Church to come saith God according to his promise Act. 13. hath brought forth to Israel a Sauiour Againe We preach Act. 13. 32. vnto you that promise which was made to our Fathers which was I will multiply thy seed as the Starres of heauen Gen. 22. c. As God spake to our Fathers to Abraham and Luke 1. 55. his seed for euer which words and preaching of Saint Paul should be false if Protestantisme were the Faith and Religion planted by our Sauiour and Preached by Saint Paul since it hath been so farre off from fulfilling the promise that it vanished away presently after the Apostles times Againe Saint Paul speaking of the estate of the Church saith By the offence of the Iewes saluation is to Rom. 11. 11. the Gentiles that they may emulate them And if the offence of the Iewes be the riches of the world and the diminution of the Iewes the riches of the Gentiles how much more the fulnesse of them Againe If the losse of the Iewes Rom. 11. 15. be the reconciliation of the world what shal the receiuing be Againe Blindnesse in part hath chanced in Israel vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles might enter and so all Israel might be saued Which cannot bee verified vpon Protestātisme supposed it were in the Apostles times since Protestants haue neither been so eminent as that the Iewes should emulate them nor the riches of the Gentiles neither hath the world been reconciled to Protestantisme neither hath the fulnesse of the Gentiles entred into Protestantisme
Papistrie since that the Brittans receiued it as is before said from the Apostles or Disciples and they from our Lord and perseuered in it with Saint Gregory and Saint Augustine and the rest of the Christian world without any alteration or change sauing some mysteries vsed in Baptisme and the keeping of Easter vpon a wrong Sunday In all things else they were so agreeable to the Faith and Religion which Saint Augustine held and taught that these two things reformed he desired their helpe and assistance in the conuersion of the Pagan English Nation by preaching vnto them the Word of God which hee neither could nor would haue done had they not both these two things excepted agreed in one in al points of Faith and Religion neither did S. Austen labour to teach or reforme the Brittaines in any thing else and seeing in these two things which to Protestants seeme of little moment Saint Augustine made so great difficultie that hee would not receiue them into the Communion of the Catholike Roman Church vntill they condescended to reforme them far greater difficultie would he haue made in receiuing them if they had held any point of Protestantisme and had denied the Masse prayer for the dead worship of Images and esteemed him an Antichristian man or Idolater c. Neither would he though they should haue offered themselues haue admitted them to preach and contradict and defame him amongst the English Pagans or Gentiles vnto whom hee was sent as an Apostle much lesse would he haue required their ayde and assistance in preaching vnto them if they had accused him as Protestants do now of Idolatry Antichristian doctrine and to haue been sonne of the Whore of Babylon c. That the Catholike Roman Faith which Saint Augustine planted amongst the English Saxons is at this day and in all ages and times since the said planting hath been confessed by some knowne English inhabitants in this Iland all our Writers Chronicles Histories and Monuments Lawes in ancient time made in fauour of it Statutes of late yeeres made to suppresse it the death of many for it and the prisons full of such as at this instant doe professe it giue ample testimony and if any require further proofe I referre him to a booke intituled The prudentiall Ballance of Religion which treateth hereof at large Whereupon I conclude that our Sauiour was Author of the Catholike Roman Faith and that the keeping of Easter vpon a wrong Sunday and some mysteries vsed in Baptisme excepted it hath in al ages and times since the plantation thereof by the Apostles or Disciples continued in this Iland and that no man can or may preach or teach any doctrine for Christian doctrine but the Catholike Roman Faith vnder paine of Anathema c. according to the words of Saint Paul saying Although we or an Angell from Galath 1. 8. heauen Euangelize to you besides that we haue Euangelized to you be he Anathema as wee haue said before so now we say againe If any Euangelize to you besides that which you haue receiued be he Anathema that is seperated from God according to the words of our Sauiour saying Depart from mee yee accursed into euerlasting Matth. 24 41. fire which was prepared for the Diuell and his angels So I appeale to your Maiestie well pleased to consider the wrong and iniustice your Protestant Ministers doe vnto vs Catholikes your ancient subiects in persecuting vs for professing that Faith and Religion which was planted vpon earth by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and euen from the Apostles times vntill this day hath continued in this Iland and humbly beseech your Highnesse that you would not thinke vs disloyal or vnfaithfull to your Person or State for that we will not become Anathemaes from God For the difference which was betweene the ancient Brittans and Saint AVGVSTINE about the time of the keeping of Easter it is manifest by Saint Beda lib. 3. cap. 4. that the Brittans fell into this error for want of skill in Astronomie For they knew saith Saint BEDA as Christen men doe that the resurrection of our Lord ought alwayes to be celebrated on Sunday But as Wilfred in S. Beda l. 3. ca. 25. ignorant men in Astrologie they had not learned when that Sunday should come That the Brittans fell into this error after Constantine his time is manifest by Eusebius who lib. 3. de vita Constantini cap. 8. affirmeth that the same keeping of Easter was obserued in the Citie of Rome in Italy Africke Aegypt Spaine France Britanie Lybia and all Greece in the Diocesse of Asia and Pontus and finally in Cicilia with one vniforme consent CHAP. III. Wherein is briefely proued by the generall consent of all knowne Christian people who liued in all ages and times betweene the death of the Apostles and rising of Luther that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was Author of the Catholike Roman Faith which Protestants call Papistrie knowne Heretikes on both parties only excepted FIRST Protestants themselues confesse That the true Church so they call their Church decayed presently after the Apostles times So Fulke in his answere to a Counterfeit Catholike page 35. Sebastianus Franciscus in his Epistle de abrogandis statutis ecclesiasticis affirmeth That for these fourteene hundred yeares the Church of Protestants hath been no where externall and visible Peter Martyr de Votis page 477. saith That errours so they call our Catholike Faith did begin immediatly after the Apostles times And page 476. he saith That presently after their age men began to decline from the word of God so they esteeme their Protestantisme The Protestant Author of the booke intituled Antichristus siue Pronostica finis mundi page 13. affirmeth That from the Apostles times till Luther the Gospell of Protestants had neuer open passage Melancthon in 1. Cor. cap. 3. affirmeth Thet presently from the beginning of the Church the ancient Fathers obscured the doctrine concerning the iustification of Faith encreased Ceremonies and deuised peculiar Worships Whereupon Peter Martyr de Votis page 476. saith As long as wee shall insist vpon Councels and Fathers we shall be alwayes in the same errors And Whitaker in his Controu 2. quest 5. page 299. de Ecclesia saith BELLARMINE doth bring foorth certaine testimonies out of Caluin and the Centurie Writers who haue noted certaine errors of the ancient Fathers which they hold common with Papists that is to say of Free-will of Merit of the Limbe of Inuocation of Saints of the Vnmaried life of Bishops of Iustification c. I answere that it is true which Caluin and the Centuries haue written that in many things the ancient Church hath erred as of the Limbe of Free-will of the Merit of Workes and in other things which are aboue rehearsed WHITGIFT in his Defence to the Answere to the Admonition page 473. saith How greatly were almost all the Bishops and learned Writers of the Greeke Church and Latine also for the most
God to Dauid saying His seed shall continue Psal 88. 37. for euer and his Throne as the Sunne in my sight and as the Moone perfect for euer Obiect 5. Our Sauiour calleth his Church little flocke saying Doe not feare little flocke because it Luke 12. hath pleased your Father to giue you a Kingdome Ans Little in the beginning after to encrease according to the words of the Prophet Isay saying Iacob Isay 27. 5. shall florish and Israel shall grow and they shall fill the face of the earth with seed So our Sauiour compared Matth. 13. 31. his Church to a Mustard-seed which is the least of all seedes when it is sowen but when it is growne it is greater then all herbes And to Leauen which a woman Matth. 13. 33. tooke and hid in three measures of meale vntill the whole was leauened Obiect 6. In the time of Constans Constantius and Constantinus the Arians so preuailed that there remained no Catholike Bishops but Liberius and Athanasius Answ In their times was the Councell of Sardis where were three hundred Catholike Bishops as is set downe in the said Councell Obiect 7. Our Sauiour saith That many are called Matth. 20. 16. but few chosen Ans He hath called the earth from the rising of the Psal 49. 1. Sunne vnto the going downe thereof So in respect of the number of all people of what sect or sort soeuer the Elect shal be but few yet dilated all ouer the earth as our Sauiour witnesseth when he saith That at the day of Iudgement he will send his Angels with a great Matth. 24. 31. sound of Trumpet and they shall gather his Elect from the foure windes from the one end of the heauen to the other Obiect 8. Our Sauiour saith of the Iewes I know Iohn 8 that you are Abrahams seed and yet saith Yee are of your father the Diuell Ans This place demonstrateth that men are not iustified by Faith only shewing that neither the Iews who were Abrahams seed by carnall generation nor the Christians who are his seed by Faith onely shal be saued without good workes saying I know you are Abrahams seed but yee seeke to kill me therefore yee are 1. Iohn 3. 8. of your father the Diuell begotten of him by euill life Catholikes doe not defend saluation by Faith onely but by Faith and good deeds Obiect 9. Some of the Fathers doe vnderstand by Babylon spoken in the 17. of the Apocalyps Rome Apocal. 17. Ans Tertullian lib. contr Iudeos and Saint Ierome Epist 17. ad Marcellum vnderstand by Babylon Rome as it persecuted Christians and worshipped Idols and not Rome Christian S. Augustine vpon the 26. Psalme Aretas vpon this place Haymon and Saint Bede do vnderstand by the great Whore great Babylon c. not Rome but the vniuersall Citie of the Diuell which in Scriptures is called Babylon and is opposite to the Citie of God which is his Church and by the seuen Hills these Fathers vnderstand the generall estate of proud men as the Scriptures vse saying Euery Vally Luke 3. 5. shal be filled and euery Hill shal be humbled Obiect 10. In our Creede we say I beleeue in the Catholike Church but the things that wee beleeue cannot be seene therefore wee cannot see the Catholike Church but must beleeue it onely Ans Herein consisteth the ignorance of Protestants that in one and the same thing they distinguish diuers acts as the act of Faith and the act of corporall seeing both in one and the same man but doe not distinguish in the same men or things diuers obiects as the obiect of the act of Faith and the obiect of the act of corporall seeing So the things that we beleeue we cannot corporally see by an acte of Faith that is true otherwise our Faith should be in our eyes The thing that we beleeue we cannot corporally see with an act of seeing that is false the Apostles did both see and heare our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and beleeued him to bee our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Catholikes can corporally see the Catholike Church but not with an act of Faith proceeding from their eyes and beleeue the same Catholike Church but not with an act of seeing proceeding from their vnderstandings but with an act of Faith proceeding from their vnderstandings and so at the same time though not with one and the selfe-same act both see and beleeue the same Catholike Church But see it as it is obiect of their eyes and beleeue it as it is obiect of their Faith which for the saluation of their soules I wish Protestants could doe Since the same God Almighty and the same Prophets which tell me I must beleeue the Church doe also tell me that it shall be corporally visible according to their descriptions vntill the worlds end and he maketh God and the Prophets lyars that denyeth it Obiect 11. The Protestants yet may hope that the Prophecies may be verified vpon Protestantisme hereafter Answ That were to make Luther the Messias and him and his Ministers of greater power then our Sauiour and the Apostles and is contrary to the promises of God and Prophecies Againe the Prophets do not speake of conuerting Papists but Gentiles to our Lord which are in great part conuerted already and there is no probability that Ministers tyed to women children seruants good fare soft beds commodities of the world and flesh should goe to conuert Gentiles in Africa or America Againe What should they conuert them vnto to beleeue That the God of the Christians hath for fifteene hundred yeares failed of his oath and promises That the Apostles and those men who planted Christian Religion are not to be called nor esteemed of as Saints That Baptisme is not necessarie to saluation That the Sacraments of the Christians doe not conferre grace That the whole Church and Generall Councels of Christians may erre in things that appertaine to God That Fasting and Pennance is not necessarie to saluation That the Masse is superstition That the Romish doctrine concerning Purgatorie Pardons Worshipping and Adoration as well of Images as of Reliques and also Inuocation of Christian Saints is a fond thing These and many the like Articles of the English Creed the Heathen and Pagans beleeue and haue beleeued many hundred years before Luther and Caluin or any Protestant man was borne that held and maintained the same Faith Protestants doe now Obiect 12. The Church of Protestants is farre extended and so in some part the Prophecies may bee verified vpon it Ans Though it were as farre extended as Turcisme yet it would bee inferious to the promises and latitude of our Catholike Church and wanteth the other properties set downe by the Prophets all Heretikes haue possessed some place or Countrey and at this day Protestantisme is but in this corner of the world Thomas Rogers a Protestant seeking out the Rogers vpon the Creede Protestants of other