1. AN Introduction pag. 1. Sect. 2. A prepatory discourse to Church-Tradition and what it is pag. 6. Sect. 3. Vniversal Tradition demonstrated Infallible pag. 12. Sect. 4. Vniversal Tradition the Churches Rule of Faith in all Ages pag. 22. Sect. 5. Tradition asserted against Protestants by Scripture and the notable advantages thereof above writing pag. 32. Sect. 6. An introductive discourse concerning the judiciary power of the Church pag. 49. Sect. 7. That there is a supream Visible Judge to decide Controversies in matters of Religion instituted by Christ Infallible in all points of Faith with an obliging power to belief and obedience under pain of damnation made apparent from Scripture Some Reasons thereof pag. 51. Sect. 8. The Churches Authority or Infallibility taught and asserted by the Ancient Fathers pag. 63. Sect. 9. The said Authority of the Church clear'd and demonstrated by the constant practice of all Ages pag. 63. Sect. 10. A further declaration of the Churches Authority or Infallibility in General Councils from Antiquity pag. 84. The second Motive shewing the Protestant Faith without foundation Sect. 1. An Introduction to the following Discourse pag. 97. Sect. 2. Hereticks from the beginning were accustomed to appeal to Scripture as the sole Rule of Faith whereby they would be judged the Catholick Church always believing and practising the contrary pag. 101. Sect. 3. A declaration of the English Protestants Doctrine how and why they make Scripture the only Rule and Judge of Faith Sect. 4. That the Holy Scriptures are not the sole and perfect Rule of Faith pag. 125. Sect. 5. That Divine Scripture is not nor can be a Judge to determine Controversies in Religion pag. 132. Sect. 6. That private Reason in Controversies of Faith is not the Interpreter and Judge of the true sense of Scripture to rely upon for our Salvation pag. 148. Sect. 7. An answer to some of the principal places of the Scripture upon which Protestants rely for their Rule and Judge of Faith pag. 188. The third Motive shewing the Heretical Schism of the English Protestant Church Sect. 1. The nature of Schism and Heresie declared from Scripture and the Ancient Fathers pag. 188. 2. The Protestant Church of England is notoriously guilty of Schism and Heresie by their separation from the Roman pag. 203. Sect. 3. Wherein the Protestants plea that they did not separate from the Church but were forcibly cast out from her Communion and therefore the Schism not imputable to them c. pag. 212. Sect. 4. Wherein is show'd the emptiness of the Plea that they did not separate from the Vniversal but the particular Church of Rome pag. 217. Sect. 5. The Vindication of the word Catholick to its notion as us'd by the Church pag. 224. Sect. 6. Wherein the Protestants Plea of pretended errors to justify their separation from the Roman Church is confuted pag. 252. Sect. 7. Wherein the Protestants Plea that the PopesVuniversal Pastorship is an usurp'd Power crept into the Church and therefore without Schism might be forsaken is refuted pag. 273. Sect. 8. Wherein the Popes universal Jurisdiction in Gods Church is further manifested and made good from Councils and the Ancient Fathers grounded on Scripture pag. 282. The fourth Motive shewing Miracles wrought in the True Church Sect. 1. A preliminary Discourse pag. 209. Sect. 2. That Miracles were always vouchsafed to the true Church pag. 316. Sect. 3. Wherein the nature of true Miracles is declared pag. 322. Sect. 4. Some reasons of Gods proceeding in this manner pag. 331. Sect. 5. Some undoubted and most famous Miracles relating to the present Controversies between us and Protestants pag. 340. The fifth Motive shewing the eminent Sanctity taught and practis'd in the Roman Church Sect. 1. An Introduction pag. 367. Sect. 2. A further Declaration of the Sanctity taught and practis'd in the Roman Church pag. 371. 3. A further prosecution of this Motive from the new Doctrines and profane practice of Heretical Communions pag. 379. The Conclusion pag. 393. ERRATA PAge 38. l. 27. r. fallible p. 44. l. 12. r. other p. 63. l. 3. r. Catholick Church p. 73. l. 3. r. Parish p. 75. l. 10 dele in Councils p. 78. l. 26. r. lowd p. 82. l. 15. r. meanest p. 86. l. 2. dele of l. 3 dele that p. 89 l. 10. r. nonnunquam p. 90. l. 14. r. by general p. 112. l. 13. dele or p. 119. l. 20. r. a too notorious imposition p. 122. l. 2. dele of p. 127. l. 24. r. be p. 148. l. 3. r. absurdness p. 149. l. 21. dele the p. 151. l. 1. r. authoritatively p. 165. l. 22. dele the p. 176. l. 14. r. deceiving l. 15. r. obscure p. 178. l. 20 r whom p. 182. l. 6. r. puts him in mind p. 188. l. 3 r. versâ— p. 192. l. 11. r. but p. 216. l. 15. r. from Christ p. 218. l. 3 dele a p 223. l. 10. r. their p. 230. l. 4. r. reason thus satisfy p. 241. l. 23. r. danger p. 267. l. 14. r. mazes p. 277. l. 21. r. the least p. 294. l. 25. delâ— it p. 303. l. 18. r. by the divine p. 329. l. 15 r. possible not only to p. 333 l 22. r. if incredulous p. 342. l. 21. r. on Berengâ—riuâ— p. 352. l 3. r. say p. 354. l. 23. r. apposite p. 357. l. 13. r. purified p. 303. l 15. r. Case p. 379. l. 3. r. declaime p. 386. l. 1. r. of a â—â—â—â—smatick p. 395. l. 1. r. prosperity p. 398. l. 8. r. unwilling The First Motive SECT I. That the two chief externe Grounds or Motives of Credibility leading to the Truth of what Christ and his Apostles taught the World are Universal Tradition and Church Authority GOD who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke unto the Fathers by his Prophets last of all in the fulness of Time reveal'd his Will unto us by his Son So that the Word was made Flesh not only as a Saviour to lay down his own Life for our Redemption and Suffer for us but also as a Law-giver to instruct us what we must believe and do for his sake and our own good if we will be sav'd Before this last and perfect revelation of all supernatural means to attain to Life deliver'd to the World by Christ the Jews were the peculiar people of God their Synagogue the true Church and their Ceremonial Rights the True Worship instituted by God himself to continue in force during that Pedagogie But the eternal Sun of Righteousness appearing those Shadows were in him fulfill'd and so vanish'd to give place unto the Gospel whose glorious Beams were to Enlighten those that sat in Darkness and the shadow of Death to the uttermost Corners of the Earth Hereupon there being a change of the Law it was necessary there should be a Translation of the Priesthood also the time being now come foretold by Malachy That from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Gods Name should be great
true Church who knows himself by communicatory Letters which anciently were in use to be a Member of the Roman Church in which the Primacy of the Apostolical Chair always flourish'd More need not be said at present to shew that to be true Members of the Catholick Church is to live in the same communion with the supreme Pastor thereof under the same Government in the acknowledgment of the same Articles of Faith in the participation of the same Sacraments in the same manner of worship brought down to us by Tradition from Christ and his Apostles And to be separated from this One and Catholick Communion after once we have been Incorporated by Baptism is formal Schism pertinaciously to contradict her Doctrines of Faith is formal Heresie Thus the Scripture and Ancient Fathers concerning the nature of Heresie and Schism Now let us see whether the Protestant Church of England by separating from her Catholick Mother in Doctrine and Government be not both Schismatical and Heretical whatever is pretended to the contrary SECT II. Wherein is shew'd that the Protestant Church of England is guilty of Schism and Heresie by their Separation from the Roman THe Separation of the English Protestants from the whole body of Christians into a Church by themselves is a matter of Fact not so Ancient that it cannot be easily traced The Case in short was this King Henry the Eighth was of the same Faith and Communion with his Pious Predecessors from the very first Conversion of our Island and the whole Church in all Ages 'till the Popes Spiritual Power did cross his Amorous desires And then alas the unruly passion of Love so blinded his Reason that he could not see or would not longer acknowledge the Primacy of the Church of Rome which not long before he had so famously maintain'd against Luther the Apostate that deservedly he was rewarded with the glorious Title of Defender of the Faith For giving way to his Intemperate pleasure he fell passionately enamour'd on Anne Bullen who being of a subtil wit and perceiving the King charmed with her Beauty was resolv'd not to yeild to his Will unless he would first marry her This her resolute denyal did blow up the fire of his Love to a greater height and he being toss'd up and down with the billows of several passions determin'd at last with himself to quench those raging flames with her embraces according to her own terms though the impendiments seem'd almost insuperable and the consequences might prove very sad Hereupon he pretends scruples of Conscience about his Marriage with Queen Catharine no less then 22 years after their solemn Espousals sealed with the endearing pledge of Issue to succeed him in the Royal Throne And upon his hot Devotion to his new Saint he grew suddenly so tender-hearted in the point that by all means his former Marriage must be disannull'd that the storm and inquietude in his breast might be appeased And forthwith Addresses are made to the Pope to Commissionate Legates in England to hear and determine the business with all possible speed But the Queen appealing from them to Rome by the advice of her most Learned and Counscientious Councel and the Pope understanding the equity of her Case and how much it might be endanger'd where the King had so much power accepting of her Appeal recals the hearing of it to Himself and after mature deliberation notwithstanding all attempts and political motives to the contrary gave it as he was bound in Conscience on the Queens side against the King Which indeed was no more then to ratify what before had been adjudg'd lawful both by the Apostolical Chair with the approbation of the Christian World His Majesty now perceiving that all hopes were pass'd to procure from Rome a Divoce from his Lawful Wife and Vertuous Queen whom he could not but Honour even while he persecuted and a Dispensation to Marry his Beloved he grew highly enraged and passion so far prevail'd that abandoning Catholick Christian Peace and Unity he renounces all obedience to the Church casts the Popes Authority out of England under pain of death to the Acknowledger makes himself sole Head of the Church in his own Dominions and consequently Judge in his own Cause and then no question all things must pass for him and an usurped power would effect what Justice could not In a word he Divorces himself from his most Religious and Vertuous Queen shakes hands as I may say with Religion and joyns himself to Anne Bullen This was the original of this fatal Schism from this impure fountain stream'd a deluge of miseries upon our 'till then most happy Island For no sooner had he to satisfy his lusts remov'd the rampire of Church Government the sole preservative of Faith and Unity but an inundation of Evils broke in violently upon us and with Schism likewise Heresie Sacriledge Oppression ruine of Churches and Monasteries extirpation of Holy Orders contempt of Religion by making it lyable to perpetual changes uncertainties and and confusions as sad experience hath but too clearly manifested Thus was the Protestant Reformation as they call it in England first brought forth into the World and these are the Miseries which attended it I wish this point might be serionsly and impartially weighed and I doubt not but by God's Grace it would prove to others as it did to me a strong motive to return to Catholick Unity And here it will not be amiss to take notice what mark the Holy Scriptures have stamp'd upon Schism and Schismaticks to be known by Among your selves saith Act. 20. St. Paul shall arise men teaching perverse things to draw Disciples after them So did their first Reformers being Members of the Catholick Church till they contradicted the Doctrine which they before believ'd with the whole Body of Christianity to come from Christ himself and his Apostles teaching new Doctrines to draw Disciples after them They went out from us 1 John 2. saith St. John And so did they erecting a new communion distinct from the universality of Christians under a new Church Government it being never heard of before that a Secular person should be Head of a Spiritual Body or that Christ had left such an Oeconomy in his Church Scripture then condemns them for it condemns such Who will not hear Mat. 18. the Church it condemns such who 2 Thess 3. will not obey the word of her Governours it condemns such who sepeperate St. Jude Rom. 16 17. themselves who cause Dissention and Scandals contrary to the Doctrine delivered to the Saints And such were they as evidently in matter of fact as any thing that 's left upon Record in the World If therefore whosoever before them in the like sort separated themselves from the Church were accounted Schismaticks by all Catholick Christians how came they to be no Schismaticks by their Separation Never let them pretend any cause given on the Church's side to justify them for the Church
Letter I know in their popular discourses they make fine flourishes and after a long combat with pretended monstruous errors of the Church of Rome they clap their wings and crow triumphantly upon their own dunghill demanding of their deluded Auditory whether the Church of Rome or Scripture is to be believ'd This is their custom but 't is not the question For let them produce but one sentence out of those Sacred Oracles of Truth that in express terms contradicts the Doctrine of the Church of Rome in any one controverted point for which they pretend just cause of separation and it would be something to the purpose but who can imagine that Catholicks who have taught the Protestants that the Scripture is God's word should themselves in express and positive terms deny the Doctrine of it And therefore seeing the question is if Scripture alone was to deside the Controversies whether the sense and meaning of the Holy Ghost in those Sacred Writings is to be taken upon the credit of Ecclesiastical Tradition or new-born interpretations of some few private men certainly none except much oversway'd by passion or interest can prefer the bare conjectures and probabilities of those Interpreters before the evidence of such Authority Especially the Scriptures themselves witnessing That things in them 2 Pet. 3. 15 16 17. difficult to be understood are wrested by the unlearned and unstable to their own destruction And the experience of all Ages making it evident that the Interpretation of Scriptures by private Spirits in a sense contrary to the attestation and practice of the Church hath been the very source and fountain of all Heresies And in such cases there 's no possible way to be secured from seduction and falling into errors but by firmly adhering to the Doctrine and Tradition of the Church Sine ego sive quis alius c. If I or any other saith Vincentius Lyrinensis will discover the frauds of new-born Hereticks and shunning their snares abide sound and firm in the right belief he must by the help of God fortify his Faith with a double bullwark first the Authority of Divine Law and then the Tradition of the Catholick Church For Sacred Scriptures being lyable to such variety of Interpretions that almost so many men so many minds Novatian Photinus Sabellius Donatus Arius Apollinaris Belagius Nestorius Lutherans Calvinists Protestants Anabaptists Independents Fanaticks c. every one pretending the Scriptures to stand for them according to their several glosses and expositions of necessity to shun the Labyrinths of so many errors we must follow the line of Apostolical Writings as handed to us by the sense and Tradition of the Catholick Church And yet if we should exclude the universal Tradition of the Church with the undoubted Testimonies of Councils and Fathers of all Ages by which Protestants stand convicted of Schism and Heresie beyond all rational contradiction from having any thing to do in the decision of these Controversies granting all that they desire let bare words of Scripture be taken according to the exactest Criticisms of private reason in the judgement of Learned and Un-interessed men and even upon that score those Sacred Oracles of Divine Truth will cast it clearly on the Catholicks side against our Adversaries And if they cannot be convinced from them to be Heretical in all material points of Faith wherein they differ from us yet as much as concerns the formal part of Schism and Heresie they stand thereby as manifestly guilty of those hainous sins as ever any one who separated from the Churches Doctrine and Communion yea and by Protestants themselves condemn'd for Hereticks But never any place hath been produced by them from the Scriptures against the Church in the present Controversies as to evidence her in any one point erroneous But Catholicks have sufficiently shown that by such endeavours they have troubled those waters of Life with the mud of their corrupted fancies and by injurious distortions forced them to speak what never the Holy Ghost intended What remains therefore but that Protestants acknowledging themselves to be a Congregation Fallible and subject to error in points of Faith confess also that they never afforded a more pregnant demonstration of their Fallibility than in assering the Catholick Church to have erred whereby their separation from her Doctrine and Communion might be justified SECT IV. Wherein the Protestants Plea that the Popes Universal Pastorship in an Usurpation crept into the Church and therefore might and ought to be forsaken without Schism is refuted YEt another Plea they have that the Popes Universal Authority and Primacy over the Church is a meer Usurpation and Tyrannical and consequently to oppose and expel the exercise of such a Power out of England or where ever else 't is introduced cannot be a Schism but a Godly Reformntion by reducing the Government of the Church to its primitive institution as founded by Christ and his Apostles These are fine specious words and will be found nothing else in their due examination For it being of Faith in the Catholick Church that a Primacy or Supreme Jurifdiction in Ecclesiastical matters over the Universal Body of Christianity in St. Peter and his Successors the Bishops of Rome is of Divine Institution and maintain'd by her as so taught and practic'd in all Ages yea and the Popes being in peaceable possession of such an Authority in England for about 1000 years by confession of Protestants themselves being a thing not to be denyed as notoriously evident from unquestionable Records in Church affairs to deny such an Authority to be lawful and thereupon to withdraw their obedience from such a Government without any more adoe declares them Schismaticks unless first by rigorous demonstration they prove it to be a meer usurpation For 't is not abus'd Scripture much less other Testimonies either justly suspected or wrested to their purpose that can weigh any thing against the selfproof of so long a continued possession the like to which cannot be shown by any Authority upon Earth to fortify their right against opposers I say nothing but rigorous demonstration will serve their turn in this case which no prescription can evacuate But when the Papal Authority was first cast out of England God knows they were thinking on other matters Lust and Self-interest had quite blinded the eye of reason in King Henry the 8th and his flatterers resolving first upon the fact and then endeavouring to maintain it just and lawful But with such weak Arguments as may be strong proofs to induce all un-interested Souls to believe the contrary though indeed the strength of our evidence against them needs no help from the feebleness of their defences However thus liberal they are to us against their wills No cause actually working can but produce effects correspondent to the nature of its activity No man can deny this but he must deny his reason If therefore the Pope's Supremacy over the Universal Church was introduced by Tyranny and
Let them give any convincing reason why Feed my Lambs Feed my Sheep spoken by the fountain of all Jurisdiction to an Apostle should not be an Authoritative Commission as well as Go teach all Nations Matt. 28 Besides had they only been admonitory words to excite St. Peter to the work of his Apostleship they would have been as necessary to have been spoken to all the rest as to him who were equally Apostles with him and therefore not now minded of their duty because afterwards they were all to receive power from above by the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them for the performance of that great and glorious work So then being a Commission and only given to St. Peter it must necessarily follow that he was thereby invested with some Spiritual Authority which the other Apostles had not though all Apostles And the question put to St. Peter by our Blessed Saviour immediately before the words of his Commission have no small influence to prove a Superiority of Power to be instated upon Him above the rest For being asked Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these Those words of command Feed my Lambs Feed my Sheep do not correspond nor are at all emphatical as what follows relates to them if thereby no Authority more or above the rest was not imparted to him as a reward of his extraordinary affection in that he loved our Lord and Saviour more then the rest of the Apostles Moreover in short as St. Peter did profess his Faith before the rest when this supreme Authority was promiss'd to him so now our Saviour would have him profess his love especially above the rest when he conferr'd upon him this Jurisdiction Thus if these places be expounded according to the light of present circumstances in all reason Scripture makes for a Supremacy in Peter above the rest of the Apostles And as hath been shown the Ancient Fathers from these Texts unanimously assert That the Church was in a special manner founded on St. Peter in being constituted Vniversal Head and Pastor of it To which if we add the voice of the present Church attesting it to be a Universal Tradition handed to her as such from Age to Age the unerring Rule of Catholick Faith it amounts to an Infallible certainty and puts the question out of all question and further dispute And how unsafe it is and dangerous to forsake the direct Texts of Scripture the the constant interpretations of the Ancient Fathers and the consent of the whole Christian World in matters of the highest concernment and to rely upon the bare Authority of private and new invented glosses of a few interessed and confessedly Fallible Doctors or our own more vain presumptions let any sober-minded man be judge And whether the Protestant Church of England in separating from her Catholick Mother the Church of Rome can possibly be upheld from falling into formal and notorious Schism leaning only on such unstable grounds The fourth Motive That the many Miracles God hath ben pleased to work in the Roman Catholick Church and still continues to do more or less and in no other Communion divided from her are manifest proofs that she 's the true Church And those Miracles which in a special manner regard some Doctrines denyed by Protestants to come from God are Divine Testimonies that the said Doctrines are as well Heavenly Truths as others taught by the Church are confess'd to be so SECT I. A Preliminary Discourse IT being manifest by what hath been discuss'd in the precedent Motive that the Protestant Church of England is undeniably guilty of Heresie and Schism in a high manner by their wilful separation from the Church of Rome in Faith and Government and thereupon the universality and perpetual visibility of the true Church by a never interrupted Succession of Believers teaching and practising the same Faith and Worship from the Apostles to these present days have been in some sort handled as points co-incident and con-natural I shall not make any large discourse of them severally though they did not a little contribute to my Conversion but contract their strength into one Syllogism and so proceed to show what efficacy Miracles wrought in the Catholick Church for visible confirmation of her Faith and Worship to come from Heaven ought to have upon our Adversaries to reduce them to the bosom of that Chuch they have forsaken The Argument runs thus The true Church of Christ hath Universality perpetual visibility and Succession of Pastors and People from Christ and his Apostles to this time and so to continue to the Worlds end inseparably annexed to it But no Schismatical or Heretical Communion of Christians can possibly be universal or have a perpetual visibility and Succession of Believers in those points which constitute them a distinct Communion from the Catholick Church of which they were Members before their separation Therefore no Schismatical or Heretical Communion of Christians can be the true Church of Christ That the Minor or second proposition belongs to the Protestant Church of England is manifest from the former Motive where 't was evidenced to be Schismatical and Heretical which once prov'd concerning any Communion of Christians 't is implicatory in ipsis terminis to say that 't is or can be universal visibly Successive from Christ and his Apostles to this time being all one as to assert That it was founded by Christ and his Apostles and yet began afterwards by a voluntary separation from the true Church so founded which is the Essence of Schism and that they were a Congregation Believing Ordaining Preaching and Administring Sacraments before they had a Beeing in the World That is they were and were not at the same time The Major or first Proposition is manifested from Scriptures and Fathers briefly thus From St. Matthew Behold I am Mat. 28. 20. with you always even to the end of Word From St. Luke He shall reign Luk. 1. 33 in the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end From St. John The Comforter the St. John 14. 16 17. Spirit of Truth shall abide with you forever From the promise of God All Nations shall flow unto it From Isa 2. 2. the Commission of Christ Go teach Mat. 28. all Nations Which clearly demonstrate the Church of Christ from its first foundation to be Catholick both in respect of Time and Place This also is the Doctrine of the Fathers 'T is only the Catholick L. 1. ca. ult Church hath the true Worship and Service of God saith Lactantius Let Praefa in l. â—â—â—â—ar the Doctrine of the Church be kept saith Origen which is deliver'd from the Apostles by order of succession and remains in the Church to this very day See more in Iren. l. 1 c. 3. St. Aug. Ser. 131. 181. de Temp. de Vnit Eccl. c. 2. Tert. contra Judaeos For the perpetual visibility of the true Church in an
been delivered by Vniversal Tradition from the Apostles to us for the Infallible and undoubted Word of God The third Motive That the Protestant Church of England is involv'd in the guilt of Schism and Heresie which crimes are inconsistent with Salvation SECT I. The nature of Schism and Heresie declared from Scripture and the ancient Fathers TO make good this Motive of my Conversion my first task shall be to lay open the nature of Heresie and Schism from Sacred Scripture and the ancient Fathers of the Church Secondly I shall make it appear that the English Church is highly guilty of those sins by its seperation from the Doctrine and Discipline of the Roman Church its Catholick Mother Thirdly I shall discover the weakness and insufficiency of those Allegations which are commonly produced to maintain the Protestants Separation to be lawful The Church of Christ is the highest Tribunal on earth a Judicature of Eternal life and death from whose living voice we receive our Faith and the grounds of it as is said and proved before Whom whosoever will not hear in her definitive Sentence in Spiritual matters Is to be accounted as a Heathen Mat. 18. 18. or a Publican by the judgment and determination of our Blessed Saviour Hence arises an indispensable necessity to Believe as the Church Believes Explicitly or Implicitly so that the Faith of the Cardinal and Collier there being no difference in men as Believers but all equally ignorant as such must be the same as to the substance under pain of damnation And as to seperate from her life-giving Communion is formal Schism so to recede from her Doctrine in points of Faith with obstinacy is flat Heresie Let therefore Schismaticks never so much pretend Sanctity or Hereticks Truth from hence they may easily be discover'd to be those false Prophets whom our Blessed Saviour forewarns us of coming to us in Mat. 7. 15. sheeps-clothing but inwardly are ravenous Wolves To be those whom St. Paul describes to his Auditors telling them Among your selves shall be men speaking perverse things to draw Act. 20. 29 30. away Disciples after them not sparing the flock To be those whom St. Peter deciphers There shall be lying 1 Pet. 2. 1. Masters who shall bring in Sects of perdition and denying the Lord that bought them pulling upon themselves speedy destruction To be those Antichrists St. John speaks of They 1 Joh. 2. 18 19. went out from us because they were not of us for if they had been of us they had remained with us but by this they are manifest not to be of us To be those whom St. Jude calls Raging waves of the Sea foaming ver 13 â—â— 19. out their own shame wandring Stars for whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever These are they who seperate themselves sensual not having the Spirit Or as elsewhere 2 Tim. 3. 5. Having indeed a form of godliness t denying the power thereof And therefore St. Paul earnestly desires the Faithful to be of one heart and of one mind and that in most moving and soul-melting expressions I beseech you Brethren 1 Cor. 1. 10. says he by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same things that there be no Schisms amongst you but ye be perfectly of the same mind and of the same judgment Neither is he less pathetical in this point to the Ephesians I the prisoner Ephes 4. 2 3 c. of the Lord beseech you to be careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace One Body one Spirit one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism And that this unity might be preserved in the Church He gave some Apostles some Prophets â—er 11 12. others to be Evangelists others Pastors and Doctors for the perfecting the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edification of the body of Christ 'till we all meet in the unity of Faith and be not toss'd and carried about with the wind of every Doctrine And no less earnestly does he desire the Romans to stand upon their guard against all Separatists and false Christians I beseech Rom. 16. you Brethren says he observe them who make dissentions and scandals amongst you contrary to the Doctrine which you have received and void them for such men serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own lusts and by kind Speeches and fair words seduce the hearts of the simple And being an important point tells also the Thessalonians If any one obey not our word accompany not with such a one that he may be confounded And in his Instructions to Titus Bishop of 2 Thess 3. 14 Crete A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition avoid knowing that such a one is subverted and finneth being condemned by his own judgment Yea St. Paul thunders out excommunication against the very Angels themselves if they should offer to pervert the Tradition of Faith by that famous place so much urged against Hereticks If we or an Angel from Heaven Gallat 1. 8 9. preach unto you any other Gospel then what ye have received let him be accursed Upon which words Vincentius Lyrinensis thus descants Ne forsitan perfunctorie c. Lest it should seem to be the superficial effusion Commo ca. 12 13. of humane passion and not the decree of Divine reason he doth inculcate and strike it home with the pondrous force of a reiterated insinuation as we have pronounced so I say again If any preach unto you but what ye have received let him be accursed This indeed is a sure Rule of Faith amongst Catholicks viz. Oral Tradition of the Church upon which grounding our selves for what is revealed our Faith is one and the same throughout the whole World without any change or alteration which Hereticks forsaking are tost about as the Apostle saith with the wind of every Doctrine deceiving and being deceived ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the Truth From all which appears First That Church-Communion consists in unity of Faith and Worship under the same Rule and Government of Divine Institution there being no other way to bring many into the Integrity of a mystical Body Secondly That when Schisms arise in this body by men of perverse minds to break Church-unity or Heresies to pervert Church doctrine the Apostles to prevent such contagious evils have instructed true Believers to know Schismaticks who become such by separating themselves from the Communion of the Church whereof formerly they were Members and erecting new Churches or Congregations and to discern Hereticks who become such in teaching Doctrines contrary to the Faith delivered to the Saints by Apostolical Tradition of which that Church being the only Preserver of necessity must be the sole Judge of the other And thirdly when such were obstinately contumaceous in breaking unity and corrupting Faith they did cast them out of the Church by Excommunication That
use as most proportionably to our present capacity and consequently most likely to produce the effect for which 't is intended For Truth entring into the the closet of our Soul through he port of our Senses as by the innate light of the understanding with an ordinary concurrence of the prime cause man can attain to some degree of the knowledge of God by natural effects and is utterly inexcusable if he does not So to induce us to the belief of things wholly supernatural and unattainable but by Divine Revelation he 's pleas'd sometimes by extraordinary and supernatural effects namely Miracles to work upon our Senses that we might believe and be saved or we rendred inexcusable when unbelief shall be laid to our charge And therefore 't is said 〈◊〉 believes not Mar. 16. 16. are condemned already As having nothing to say for themselves in that they so wilfully shut their eyes in Sun-shine that they might not see and be converted And our Blessed Joh. 15. 22 c. Saviour says elsewhere If I had not done those works among them which none other hath done they had not sinn'd but now they have no excuse for their sin But as Miracles are to beget Faith where 't is not so the next use of them is to give strength and growth to it where 't is already planted least at any time we should have a heart of Infidelity to depart from the Truth received either by flat Apostacy which more rarely happens or by Schism and Heresie which are Satan's commonest snares wherein he catches unwary Souls to their destruction What can they say for themselves to whom in so much Heavenly Light the Cross becomes a stumbling-block so as to fall away from their stability or once fallen if they will not rise again and be recall'd into the bosom of the Catholick Church by the voice of such wonderful works crying aloud after them even sufficient to engrave Faith in a rocky-hearted Jew and introduce belief into very Infidels From whence appears the absurdness of that Protestant Thesis That all Miracles are now ceased in the Church For besides indubitable testimonies from clouds of Witnesses enough to satisfy any rational man these causes yet continuing viz. Infidelity Heresie and Schism God will also still continue the same supernatural effects to beget or confirm supernatural Faith in the Souls of men But why they are not so frequent as in the first planting of the Gospel this may be one reason in that the true Church being manifested to the World by those Miracles which more or less in every Age are wrought in her Communion and her 's only entitle her justly to all the rest confirming the same Faith which others cannot claim by the like evidence For the principal end of Miracles being for the confirmation of true Faith taught by Christ and his Apostles to the World either to give it birth or growth if God did vouchsafe to work in the same manner such wonderful Signs and Prodigies by any persons in other Communions than his Catholick Church they could not be sufficient Testimonies from Heaven of Divine Truth but be instrumental likewise to set a lustre on deeds of Darkness and harden poor seduced Souls in erroneous Worship Neither had the Ancient Apologists for the Christian Faith rationally made use of Miracles as a convincing argument of the Truth thereof if Infidels or others could have produced justly the like evidences to give Testimony to their false Religion See Heb. 2. ver 3 4. St. Joh. 5. 36. ch 7. 31. ch 9. 30. ch 10. 28. ch 15. 22 24. Hence St. Gregory Quia carnales adhuc c. Hom. 2. in Evan. Because the Disciples being yet carnal could not understand his mysterious words he proceeds to a Miracle a blind man receives his sight before their eyes that who understood not the words of Divine Mystery Heavenly deeds might work Faith in them Thirdly God works Miracles in his Church to manifest the extraordinary Sanctity of some persons to whom he 's pleas'd to vouchsafe a special Honour and thereby proposes as singular examples for others to imitate in their glorious walkings And this is done either while they are living or after death by their Sacred Relicks and Intercession and sometimes in both they are alike glorified by him who only works Miracles whomsoever he makes choice of for the Instruments Which no false Worshipers in the World can challenge to their Profession Yet that such have been and are still wrought by Saints in the Communion of the Roman Catholick Church there are as good proofs to evidence it to the World as that there was such a man as Henry the 8th once King of England Which certainty none pretend to deny And though Protestants cannot lay claim to any true Miracles for the confirmation of their Faith and practice yet how fain they would have their new Religion so attested is manifest in that they greedily catch at shaddows and interpret any thing that 's somewhat strange and not ordinary as the singular actings of God in their behalf Or if any among them observe some austerities in the contempt of worldly Pleasures and Contentments which is so frequent among Catholicks presently this is a Sanctity without parallel and by the wind of vain-glory is puffed up to the Prodigious greatness of a wonder And I confess if all rare things are Miraculous this among them may justly be so accounted To these I might add the manifestation of the power of his Godhead and the riches of his Goodness towards his Church by such extraordinary workings beside the course of universal nature to make up the number of his Elect and consummate them in Glory But these last are not proper to my present purpose and the former related reasons are those for which God is pleased principally to work Miracles in the true Church and ought to be operative upon rational Souls to bring them to the knowledge and the embracing of the Truth SECT V. Some undoubted and most famous Miracles relating to the present Controversies between Us and Protestants ST Austin having related some De Civi Dei l. 22. c. 8. Miracles wrought upon Devotes at St. Stephens Shrine by his special intercession whereof himself was an eye-witness affirms That if he should record all that he knew to have been done in those Territories he must fill Books And so might I too with much more reason if I should set down but the tenth of those which concern the present Controversies between Protestants and Us having confin'd my self to no less limits then the Christian World affording innumerable Miracles the truth of which cannot justly be question'd because deliver'd to our knowledge with as much certainty as matters of fact are capable of However I shall be brief and only select out some few which I conceiv'd most convincing to Souls yet hardned with unbelief And had wholly spar'd this labour but that I know particulars are prâ—ssing
Tradition to make a way for Error or Heresy to creep in at Does it not shine bright in the visible Practice and Profession of the Church scatter'd over the whole World so continually expos'd to all mens Eyes and Ears that it cannot be conceiv'd how Doctrines so deliver'd should be innovated without discovery and opposition or perish unless with the ruin of Christianity If Protestants considered this aright they could not deny the presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Blessed Eucharist by a real change of the Consecrated Elements subjection to the Bishop of Rome as Supreme Head of the Church under Christ Invocation of Saints and Angels the Sacred use of Images Veneration of Reliques private Confession to a Priest Indulgences Extream Unction Purgatory Prayer for the Dead to be Apostolical Doctrines being handed Traditionally to us from Age to Age by an Universal and more Visible Practice than the Scriptures themselves which yet they receive as the Word of God upon the same Authority Neither could they demand of us a farther proof of what carryes along with it in its very face an Evidence of Credibility beyond all Exception Nor ask of us in what secret Repositaries of the Church these Traditions of the Church are preserved when they might in a manner as rationally demand whether it be day when the Sun is in the Meridian of our Horizon In vain therefore do Protestants pretend Innovation in Faith to justify their Separation from the Catholick Church for let them chuse what Age they will this Principle is equally sure rationally evident alike in all And as firmly establish'd now in the attestation of the present Church or in the days of King Henry the Eighth when the Fatal Defection from the Church of Rome in England first began or in the Sixth or Fifth or Fourth Century for they cannot agree about the time aâ— in the very next Age succeeding the Apostles and consequently all Traditionary Doctrines of Faith Taught and Attested by the voice of the presenâ— Church of any Age the self same foâ— substance which were at first deliver'â— to the Saints without Encrease or Diâ—minution Universal Tradition and Innovation in Faith being in a manne◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Incompatible And whaâ— Arguments soever the Protestants produce to the contrary in their Controversal Skirmishes is meerly the playing of Wit against Pure Evidence If any one should seriously endeavour by Elaborate Arguments to perswade us really that there was neveâ— such a man as King Henry the 8th King of England would we not think him Fool or mad-man for his pains Seing that if it were not true millions of persons not only in our own three Kingdoms but in other Nations of Credit and Reputation without any causes sufficient to produce such an effect must conspire to be notorious Lyers And natural reason tells us if the first Reporters had not related it of their own knowledge with undeniable evidence it would never have obtain'd to pass so constantly and uncontroulably as it doth without the least doubt or question And yet thus have Protestants lost the immemorial Possession of their Ancient Faith and misled with meer Sophisms will not believe those points to have been handed to us by Tradition from the Apostles which are attested for such by infinite multitudes of People of several Nations in their respective Ages to this present with a far more transcendent evidence of Credibility than the former instances Notwithstanding such is the blindness of some mens understanding or rather the hardness of their hearts that as the Scripture saith Matth. 13. v. 14. Seeing they will not perceive and hearing they will not understand that they may be healed Though it be a Rule plain certain and expos'd to all mens view in such visible Characters of publick practice that who runs may read as well the Unlearned as the greatest Schollar and upon which the Pope and Peasant depend alike for their Salvation Wherefore to contract this Argument seeing such vast multitudes of several Nations cannot mistake in what hath been a thousand times over and over inculcated unto them clear'd to their Judgments and rooted in their Hearts by continual practice seeing that a World of Believers cannot conspire together to Damn themselves and Cosen their Posterity in matters of the highest moment whereof men are most tender and tenacious seeing mankind cannot give credit and entertainment to any Doctrine to which their daily Religious Worship gives the Lye and cannot be accepted without the destruction of some evident Principle of which they are in present Possession as Divine and Apostolical unless such a Doctrine bring with it a manifest demonstration of Truth which is impossible to be done in any point of Faith controverted between Protestants and Catholicks Seing these are the safe and sure Grounds of Universal Tradition truly methinks whosoever will not acknowledge it for a Rule or Evidence sufficient in points of Faith but desires a more certain or manifest conduct to bring him to the knowledge of what Doctrines Christ and his Apostles taught the World Or who is satisfi'd with less that is with a Rule which may easily deceive him in a business of Eternal Interest seriously such persons seem to me not Impartial Searchers and if ever it please God to clear up their understanding in Divine matters they will confess it SECT IV. Universal Tradition the Churches Rule of Faith in all Ages DId not Protestants of the Church of England pretend to Antiquity as on their side against the Catholicks in this Controversy about the Rule of Faith any farther Discourse of this Subject for the present had not been necessary but because such is their claim I shall take some pains to shew the Injustice of it and let the Reader see that as well in this as other points they who are our Enemies have no Friends of the Fathers to maintain them in their opposition but are equally Contradictors of Them and Us Yet before I shall urge Authority I shall press them with Reason The Apostles having among other necessary points of Christian Faith rooted this Doctrine in their Disciples hearts To believe only what was delivered to them and also guarded it with the thunder and Lightning of Excommunication Gal. 1. 8 9. even against an Angel from Heaven that should presume to teach otherwise because of points necessary what was to be the Rule and ground of all the rest was most carefully to be preserv'd one would think understanding heads could not doubt that the Fathful were to receive and hold their Faith upon the same tenure of Tradition to the Worlds end as attèsted to them by the publick voice of the present Church Yet question'd it is and contradicted also by English Protestants but doubtless they do not consider as they ought First That the Church being in the possession of this Belief upon the tenure of Universal Tradition unless they can demonstrate such a tenure actually
contradicts the Justice Goodness and Veracity of God to authorize any to be a witness of his Truth that might lye and deceive the World in their attestation And methinks it concerns as well English Protestants as Us to maintain the Catholick Church for an Infallible Witness seeing at this distance from the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles they as well as we have no other Infallible assurance then her Testimony whereby to know either which are the undoubtd Books of Scripture or what the true meaning of them And thus that Religion which Protestants pretend to be contain'd in only Scripture must rejecting Church Authority necessarily float in an Ocean of incertainties and we miserably be left in the mysts of conjectures among dead Letters with the twi-light of natural reason to search out Faith and the Eternal Salvation of our Souls Lastly the fore-quoted Texts being so express for the Church to have a Power from Christ to oblige all men under pain of Damnation to believe and submit to her Proposals as to Faith God hath also endowed her with Infallibility in bringing to our knowledge revealed Verities seeing otherwise such a Power in the Church and a correspondent obligation in her Children would not bear an equal proportion And therefore these two are inseparably link'd together a Power to bind to Believe and Infallibility in the Obliger Christ assisting his Church with his Holy Spirit to guide her Infallibly into all Truth because he hath invested her with a Power to bind to believe and giving her a Power of obliging to believe because he hath made her Infallible in such Proposals It seeming most conformable to the Divine Goodness and Providence that such an externe proponant of Faith should be established as might afford no just cause to suspect whither it be true or no which is proposed and in all reason no greater assurance can be desired then to have an absolute certainty that that Authority cannot err in points of Faith to whom we must in such Proposals captivate our Wills and Understandings For this is but to assent upon undoubted evidence then which nothing is more agreeable to mans nature Neither is it rational to believe that God who is essential Reason and Wisdom ruling all his Creatures according to the several Dispositions Imprinted in them would impose such a Duty on Discoursive Entities upon other terms Blessed be God who hath so carefully provided for us in giving us a Law which is the only means to Salvation and also an authorized guide to direct us in the certain knowledge of it namely the Catholick which cannot possibly lead us into errour as hath been formerly shewn Thus certainly these Scriptures witnessing the Churches Authority are agreeable to reason now let us see what further light can be added to them from the Writings and universal practice of Antiquity SECT VIII The Churches Authority or Infallibility taught and asserted by the Ancient Fathers IF I should produce what Antiquity affords us on this Subject I should rather transcribe Books than Passages so Copious and Industrious have the Fathers been on all occasions to press a point so necessary S. Athana coni Aria S. Hier. S. Aug. Pole St. Cyp. de vnit Ecc. Tert. c. especially in their Polemical Discourses against Hereticks to vindicate their dear Mother the Church in her Just Rights and Priviledges against all Rebellious contradictors of her Authority And thither I refer such as desire more ample satisfaction for the present I shall content my self with some few choice places and they are these We must believe saith Irenaeus â— l. cont hae ca. 49. those Priests that are in the Church those that have a Succession from the Apostles who together with the Episcopal Power according to the good pleasure of the Father have received the certain gift of Truth We must not believe saith the English Protestant Church those who in their Episcopal Chaires have had an un-interrupted Succession from the Apostles seek not for the Law of God from their Lips for they are fallen from the Truth yea General Councils can err and have erred in Art 21. of the 39. their Definitions having no certain gist of Truth by Divine assistance Thus they flatly contradicting good Irenaeus and Ancient Doctrine Now whom shall we believe The old Saint or the new Protestant Give him a little more Audience for he proceeds thus The Church Cap. 62. l. praed shall be under no mans judgement for to the Church all things are known in which is the perfect Faith of the Father and of all the Dispensations of Christ and firm knowledge of the Holy Ghost who teacheth all Truth But say he what he will Protestants will assume a Power to judge and condemn her of no less gross and damnable Errours then Idolatry and Superstition to justify that thing they call the Reformed Church Though it were no difficult matter for them to perceive the Injustice of such Proceedings when the same Saint goes on and tells them and us That it is easie to receive the Truth from Gods Church seeing the Apostles have most fully deposited in her as in a rich store-house all things belonging to Truth For what if there should arise any contention of some small questions ought we not to have recourse to the most Ancient Churches and from them receive what is certain and clear concerning the present question Thus far he And if this course is to be taken in small questions doubtless much more in matters of high concern as many points are now controverted between Us and Protestants In such to be left to our own private conjectures and Interpretations would be most unsafe and unreasonable And had Protestants taken the course here prescribed by the Saint for the inquisition of Truth when they first raised questions about Religion as in such cases all Christians ought to do could ever such a thing as the Protestant Church have had a beeing or existence For 't is as visible as the Sun that there was no pre-existent form of Faith in the whole Christian World according to which they modeliz'd their Religion in England and with whom they communicated when they divided from the Church of Rome their Catholick Mother If great St. Austin was not little in esteem with our modern Hereticks they might receive full satisfaction from him in this point if they would Impartially peruse his Writings against the Donatists and other Enemies of the Churches Faith and Unity That of his is very remarkable against Crescontius Though saith he there cannot be produced Lib. 1. cap. 33. from Scriptures any examples of such a thing yet the Truth of the same Scriptures is held of us in this matter when we do that which pleaseth the whole Church which the Authority of the same Scriptures commendeth that because the Holy Scriptures cannot deceive us whosoever feareth to be deceived with the obscurity of this question let him require the judgment of
name no more and only such as Protestants themselves repute Hereticks those Arch-Enemies of the Doctrine of Grace so abundantly delivered in Sacred Writ yet fly thither also to set up Nature against it as St. Austin who best knew relates of them in these words Let us say they the L. de Nat. Grat. 39. Pelagians believe what we read what we read not let us believe unlawful to maintain Thus Scripture was their Sword and Buckler against the definitions of the Church whereby they were condemned neither could they so escape the brand of Heresie And Protestants taking up the same Weapons in the same manner to uphold themselves against the Faith and practice of all Ages by treading in the steps of such Predecessors shew sufficiently of what Generation and Spirit they are and seem justly involv'd in the same condemnation Thus having made good the first thing I promis'd in this Section namely that the common course of Hereticks is to have recourse to sole Scripture and to urge it as Interpreted by themselves against the Churches sense and judgment to speak any thing of the second to wit the different Faith and Practice of the Christian World would be but actum agere a superfluous labour being so largely before declared Sect. 5. of Trad. and the two last Sections of the Churches Authority in the handing of Tradition and the Infallibility or Authority of the Church and thither I refer the Courteous Reader Only for the present give me leave to say that I carefully comparing both these together found manifest different Rules of Faith without any possibility of reconcilement old and new Hereticks appealing to Scripture and resolute to be tryed by nothing else without any visible Judge to interpret them The Ancient Fathers and present Catholicks asserting the word of God whether written or unwritten as delivered to us by the universal Tradition of the Church and declared by her voice in approved General Councils to be the only sufficient and sure foundation of Christian belief I found that if these built their Faith on solid and safe Principles as it appeared to me they did the other must needs rely on an uncertain and groundless foundation for their Religion and having a desire to be numbred with the Saints not Hereticks of old I found I could not be so except I did relinquish Protestancy and unite my self to the Roman Church of the same belief and practice with Primitive Christians SECT III. A declaration of the English Protestants Doctrine how and why they make Scripture the only Rule of Faith FOr the clearer handling of this point and prevention of all mistakes I shall faithfully deliver what the Protestant Church of England teaches Principally in this main fundamental of her Religion and not injure it or her to the best of my judgment by any Observations made thereon First she teaches That Holy Scripture doth explicitly contain all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite and necessary to Salvation This the Composers of her Articles do teach and this they must teach who will make the written Word an entire Rule of Faith that is comprehending all points necessary to Salvation Now in all reason to satisfy those whom they would perswade to be of this belief it ought to be made evident that the Apostles in their Writings did intend plainly and perfectly to comprize whatsoever is necessary to be believ'd and practis'd by all Christians and deposited them in the Church as a complete Rule of Faith for the tryal of all Doctrines she also receiving it for such and practising accordingly in all Ages Which once done their position is then a most clear and rational inference But this being impossible for them to prove because contradicted by the Faith and practice of the Primitive Church which could not be ignorant of all Apostolical Doctrines and Constitutions and also of present Catholicks receiving them from her by an uninterrupted visible Tradition must needs be a false and most dangerous Principle though laid for the foundation of their Religion Secondly for a further ground-work she teaches That General Councils may and have erred even in things appertaining to God That is in matters of Faith as well as of Fact as her own Expositions more freely express her meaning A Doctrine the first Reformers would never have given place in the foundation of their Spiritural building even for their own sakes but that it was not possible their new Fabrick of Faith could stand for any considerable time without fall of the Churches Authority Were not they then sit men to be credited if General Councils may err But that which follows Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary unto Salvation have neither strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they be taken explicitely out of Holy Scriptures Is the very quintessence of Anarchy and Rebellion so destructive of all Government though an Engine made only to batter down the Church that were it put in practice as here taught confusion would cover the face of the earth and the World would run quickly back into its first Chaos For if things ordained by General Councils have neither strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that it is made out to every private Judgment that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures I demand by whom this may be or must be declared Now let it be considered that Church Governours are instituted by Jesus Christ having the Keys of so wonderful and transcendent power committed to their hands That whatsoever they Mat. 18. 18. shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever they shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven With a promise from Christ That where they meet in his Name he will be in the midst of them and ver 19. that he will be always with them to the Mat. 28. 20. Worlds end And that the Holy Spirit shall guide them into all Truth Joh. 16. 13. I say let this be consider'd and if the Decrees of such a Tribunal ordaining concerning points of Faith and proposing them to all Christians to be believ'd as the revealed will of God by his word from Heaven and necessary to Salvation have no strength nor Authority 'till it may be further declared that they are taken out of Holy Scriptures those that require this condition to make them obligatory cannot possibly give any reasonable satisfaction to this demand unless they find out such a Judge who is fitter and in all probability more likely not to err or deceive us in teaching what are revealed Truths But how impossible this is to be done any one of an ordinary understanding may without much study determine Yet while they are in vain attempting it if men should take their word as too many have already in denying
can give no just cause to her Children to separate from her communion except they will say Christ hath not left his Church sufficient means to maintain Unity Besides the Fathers tell them that 't is impossible there should be just cause for any to separate from the Communion of the Catholick Church St. Iraeneus is very plain It is impossible to receive such an injury or provocation from the L. adver haere Governours of the Church as to make a separation excuseable And St. Austin is as positive It is impossible there should be any just cause to make a separation from the Communion of all Nations And therefore Antiquity Epist 48. judg'd a separation from the body of the Church how specious soever were the pretences of the dividers to be a sufficient evidence to prove such formal Schismaticks by the very matter of fact without any other argument I object to you the crime of Schism says the same Holy Father to the Donatists which St Aust cont Petilian you will deny and I will presently prove because you do not communicate with all Nations Upon which grounds if the Ancient Fathers were now living they must of necessity condemn Protestants as well as Arrians or Donatists in their days And thus being condemn'd both by Scripture and Antiquity for Schismaticks I know not what or who can justify their Separation or the continuers and maintainers of it It is not the Votes of a Parliament whom Christ never made Church Governours nor Judges in Controversies in points of Faith 't is not the Acts of a National Synod held by a few Schismatical Bishops when such Councils even of Catholick Bishops may and have erred 'T is not the consent of two Vniversities either for fear or flattery or self-interest renouncing the Papal Authority in England and acknowledging the King Supreme Head of the Church in his Dominions 't is not any or all of these can bear them out and make them innocent Yea these consequent Acts make their Schism far more inexcusable For what in the beginning the height of passion might somewhat extenuate by this solemn deliberation became more voluntary and so aggravated the former malignity However notwithstanding this undeniable prevarication they have patch'd up some Fig-leaves together to cover the nakedness of their Schism and that they are no better I shall endeavour to make appear in the following Sections SECT III. Wherein the Protestants plea that they did not separate from the Church but were forcibly cast out from her Communion and therefore the Schism which is a voluntary recession from the Church not imputable to them is answered SEeing it cannot be denyed but that the first Reformers were bred in the bowels of the Roman Church communicating with her before this unhappy rupture to wipe off from them the odious crime of Schism they lay the fault upon the Catholick Church for casting them out by force from the Communion whereas Schism is a voluntary recession from the Church and theirs was not they not separating themselves but being separated In answer to which I say first that never were any Hereticks or Schismaticks even whom they acknowledge for such in any Age cast out from among the Faithful by Sentence of Excommunication for their contumacy but they might with as much show of reason use the same plea for their justification Secondly how can they impute their separation to the Church when after her utmost endeavours to maintain unity they would by no means be perswaded that it was lawful to communicate with her in Doctrine and Worship herein preferring their own private opinions before the judgment of the whole Christian world But thirdly how frivolous this plea is will most manifestly appear if they will but consider what was acted by themselves wholly antecedent to the censure of the Church That the Church hath just Power and Authority to Excommunicate such of her Subjects who deserve it is confess'd on all sides Yea that she 's obliged to cut off corrupted and incorrigible Members from the body of Christianity lest others be infected with their errours is plain to common sense And that it was the practice of the Church in all Ages to injoyn the Faithful to abstain from Communion with those who pertinaciously maintain'd a different Faith from her no man can doubt who knows any thing in Church-history Now when they had voluntarily receded from the Doctrine and Government of their Catholick Mother or if any compulsion appear'd in the business it was not on the Churches part but from their new Spiritual Head the King when they had demolish'd Monasteries ceiz'd on their Revenues Persecuted the most Conscientious of the Clergy Confiscated the Estates of contradictors and put to death some most eminent for Learning and Piety because they would not prostitute their Faith and Conscience to the Kings assumed Authority in Church Affairs When they had abolish'd the publick Worship of the Church as Superstitious and Idolatrous and cast out most of the Sacraments as prophane and unholy things when they had moulded a Religion according to the policy of State and Interests of the great ones who had added to themselves by taking from the Church When they had forsaken the only certain Rule of Faith and made way for innumerable Sects and Subdivisions which they have found too true by sad experience God lashing them with their own rod that they may see their sin in the glass of their punishment And lastly when to fill up the measure of their sins they remained unrelenting and obstinate in their manifold disorders and miss-called Reformations in the Churches Faith and Discipline when they had done and acted this in a most violent and head-strong manner to the wonder and pity of the understanding World and all possible means being us'd to reduce them to the Catholick Unity from which they were fallen but all in vain The Church then and not Anno 10. Eliz. Reg. 'till then by Authority Christ proceeding according to her duty and constant practice in like cases to the just Sentence of Excommunication They cry out not guilty they are innocent and have done nothing amiss the Schism is not to be laid to their charge who made no voluntary recession from the Church But to the Church who against their wills did cast them out Just as if a Malefactor who hath made himself incapable of Mercy by his unpardonable offences should accuse the Judge as guilty of his death because he pronounces on him the Sentence of Condemnation Is not this a pretty plea to excuse themselves from Schism So bad a cause stands in need of better Arguments to maintain it self SECT IV. Wherein is shew'd the emptiness of their Plea that they did not separate from the Universal but only from the particular Church of Rome BUt seeing there is a palpable Schism in the Church by their new erected Ecclesiastical Government and they cannot make the World believe that the Church of Rome
not They was the dividing party and Actors in this separation being so contrary to the nature and notion of Schism from Scripture and Antiquity yea and a common sense for how could a Church possibly separate from a Communion whereof they never were Members though it should be granted that they made the separation yet they say that Schism being a voluntary departure from the Communion of the Catholick Church they cannot be condemn'd for Schismaticks who only separated themselves from the particular Church of Rome But alas this is no better then a Cob-web Plea to keep Protestants from falling into the Gulph of Schism For first grant that the Church of Rome be but a particular Church yet as such 't is a true Member of the Catholick Church as the most Learned Protestants of the Church of England not only grant but contend for against other Dissenters and so they could not separate from the Church of Rome as such but of necessity they must separate from the whole with whom she as part thereof communicated Secondly if the separation was only made from the particular Church of Rome and not from the Universal let them shew us any Body of Christians agreeing with their Protestant Church in all Material points of Faith and practice to whom the first Reformers united themselves when they made a separation from their Catholick Mother If Communion with the Greek Church be pretended 't is most irrational when condemned by themselves in their Belief concerning the Procession of the Holy Ghost Mass Transubstantiation c. And indeed if they will be of their Communion they must agree with us almost in all points wherein they now differ from us and alledge as just causes of their separation But how justly shall be scann'd hereafter If with the Lutherans 't is as vainly pretended for by the Confession of those who made a full search into the Lutheran Tenets they agree in more points with the Church of Rome against the English Protetestants then on the contrary And 't is well known that when the Controversies were hot between the Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants as Hereticks are always as well fighting among themselves as against the Church the Remonstrants plainly asserted they would sooner return into the Bosome of their Catholick Mother then joyn in those points with the Calvinists with whom of all other Sects the English Protestants may most pretend to have Communion Which nevertheless hath as airy a foundation as either of the other when the greatest Patrons and Goliahs of the English Reformation condemn the Calvinists of fundamental Errors in denying Episcopacy to be jure divino and the Kings Supremacy in Ecclesiastical matters and for differing from them in other points contain'd in their 39 Articles and Book of Common-Prayer their publick Liturgy and way of Worship And so while they separate from the particular Church of Rome as they pretend and not from the Catholick from which they grant no man ought to separate they notwithstanding are found to be left by themselves a Church of their own constituting finding no part of Christs Catholick Church or any other with whom when they separated from the Roman Communion they actually joyn'd themselves or do yet in the belief of the same Articles of Faith in the acknowledgment and submission to the same Church Government in the participation of the same Sacraments and way of Worship which are essentially requisite to Church-union But thirdly though no Catholick denyes the Church of Rome as taken for the peculiar Diocess belonging to the Bishop of Rome is a particular Church as well as the Church of Ephesus or Church of Corinth and the Pope as Bishop of this Roman Congregation belonging to no other Jurisdiction is a particular Bishop Yet seeing also that all Catholick Christians do and the first Protestant Reformers did believe before their separation that the Roman Church as taken for the whole collection of the Faithful as holding Communion with the See of Rome is the Catholick Church and that the Pope of Rome as succeeding St. Peter in his Primacy by divine Right add Institution hath a Universal Headship and Jurisdiction in Spiritual matters over all particular Churches I say the whole Catholick World and first English Reformers thus believing before their separation they stand condemn'd for Schismaticks by the most Sacred and highest Tribunal on Earth not for separating from the particular Church and Bishop of Rome but from the Communion of the Roman Church as Catholick in respect of the extent of her Power and Jurisdiction and the Pope as St. Peters Successor supream Pastor and Head thereof And this guilt will never be wip'd off 'till it be evidenced that the Christian World is in an error and believes a lye and that the Supream and Universal Jurisdiction of the Pope of Rome is but a meer usurpation and innovation in the Church But this the Protestants neither have done nor ever will be able to do and yet ought to have been done by the first Reformers before they separated or by the continuers of it for the justification Which is an attempt no less desperate then to endeavour to perswade the World that the judgment of a few interessed passionate persons may not only ballance but also ought to out-weigh and be preferred before the greatest Authority and certainty we have on earth This is enough to manifest the unity of this Plea to any unbyassed and indifferent judgments But because Protestants do sadly deceive themselves in being perswaded they are true Members of the Catholick Church by imposing upon the word Catholick a notion different from the most usual and common sense of the Church in all Ages and thereby satisfy themselves that their separation is neither damnable nor dangerous that is not Schismatical this being a proper place for it I shall endeavour to undeceive them by applying the word to its genuine acceptation in which sense it had much influence on my Conversion SECT V. The sense and meaning of the word Catholick as it is us'd by the Church THe Church is said to be Catholick in three respects First ratione loci according to universality Mat. 28. 19. Mar. 16. 15. Jo. 4. 21. Act. 1. 8. Ro. 1. 17. Ro. 10. 12. Eph. 2. 14. of place whereby 't is distinguish'd from the Jewish Synagogue For the partition-wall being broken down by Christ the chief corner stone of this Spiritual building both Jew and Gentile were united into one and the same body of Christianity extending it self into all corners of the World Hence it is that of St. Cyril The Church is called Catholick because 't is spread over all the World from one end to the other Whereas before the true Worship was confin'd to Judaea and the Jewish Nation Secondly the Church of Christ is Catholick ratione temporis according to universality of time from its first existence because being once founded by our Blessed Saviour Mat. 15. 14. Dan. 3. 44.
he comforting said Fear not for I am truly risen from Death and permitted to live again among Mortals But from henceforth in a far other manner then I have been accustomed And presently rising went to the Chapel of the Village and continuing in Prayer 'till day then divided his Estate into three Portions one for his Wife another for his Children and the third which he reserved for himself he without delay distributed to the Poor that he might have Treasure in Heaven And not long after being now freed from the cares of the World he came to the Monastery of Mailros which is almost surrounded with the River Tweed And taking the Tonsure liv'd in a private Cell which the Abbot had provided and there continued to the day of his death in such Contrition and Austerity that though his Tongue were silent his Life did speak what wonders he had seen above others Now the Vision was this My guide said he had a shining countenance and bright apparel we walk'd in silence and as I thought towards the Solstitial rising of the Sun At last we came into a Valley of vast breadth and deepness but of infinite length which being scituate on our left hand did present unto us one side very terrible with enraged flames the other not less intolerable with storms of Snow and Hail overturning all things Both were filled with Souls of men which seem'd now and again to be toss'd hither and thither as with the horrible violence of an impetuous tempest For not being able to endure the fury of the excessive heat poor Souls they threw themselves into the midst of the insufferable cold And when they could find no rest neither in those Winter quarters again betook themselves to the torrid Zone c. Knowest thou said my Guide all these things which thou hast seen I answered no he replyed that Valley which you behold so terrible with intolerable heat and cold is that place wherein the Souls of those are to be pacified and chastis'd who deferring to confess and amend their wickednesses fly at last to repentance on their death-beds and so leave their Bodies who yet because they confessed and repented though but before their departure shall at the day of Judgment be all received into Heaven But the Prayers of the Living and Alms and Fasts and especially the saying Masses do help many that they may be freed before the day of judgment c. And this I had says S. Bede from one Genegils a Monk and Priest of a very holy and rigid life who often convers'd about these things with this miraculous Liver so famous for his wonderful Austerities and Visions that both by word and deed he wrought powerfully on many to repent and spend their time well on which depends everlasting bliss or eternal misery And yet Protestants are never the better refusing to believe that there is never a Purgatory for penitent Souls thoroughly purg'd at their departure from their Bodies though this man and others have been sent from the dead to testify to the World the truth thereof Which I confess I cease to wonder at when I consider that they are deaf to the living voice of the Catholick Church If I should proceed in relating what wonderful Miracles God hath been pleased to work for the Approbation of a Monastical Life from Heavenly by men famous in that Angelical Profession both in former and later Ages as St. Benedict St. Bernard St. Dominick St. Francis St. Teresia St. Ignatius I should utterly destroy my intended brevity and therefore refer you to their Lives faithfully transmitted to Posterity But especially to the wonderful Life of that great Saint and Patriarch of Monastical Profession in the West S. Benedict which the Church owes to that famous Light and Doctor St. Gregory deservedcalled Englands Apostle For he was embarqued and on his way to bring the glad tydings of the Gospel to our Nation though recall'd to Rome against his will and inclination And afterwards when advanc'd to the Popedom he sent St. Austin and his fellow Monks to perform what he intended Who Ann. Ch. 596. succeeding in the Holy attempt and converting Edilbert King of Kent with his People and from thence diffusing the Christian Faith by degrees into other parts did Preach and establish all those doctrines rites and Ceremonies practis'd at this day by the Church of Rome as Protestants confess being fore'd to it by the evidence of unquestionable Records And yet now esteem'd by them but as Superstitious Innovations though God has been pleased to own them for his and confirm the word and practice of the said Teachers with following Miracles which were wrought so frequently by the Holy Monk St. Austin that B. Gregory exhorts him him to Humility in these words I know most dear L. 1. Hist S. Bedae c. 31. Brother that Omnipotent God hath shown great Miracles by you to the Nation whom he would have elect Wherefore 't is necessary that concerning this Heavenly gift you rejoyce with trembling and tremble with joy You may rejoyce in that the English Nation is brought to inward Grace by these outward Miracles But fear least by reason thereof the infirm mind should exalt it self in presumption and while 't is extoll'd with honour abroad be depressed at home with the levity of vain Glory c. And why these Miracles wrought by the said Saint in his Apostleship should not be evidences as well of his Mission and Doctrine as those accompanying the first Promulgators of the Gospel to the World no reason sufficient can be given This I am sure of as they converted Infidels so they stop'd the mouths also of the Britains who long before had received the Christian Faith and in some few external Observance differ'd from him About which the British Bishops and the said Apostle meeting to make up a persect unity between them when neither Arguments nor advice nor entreaty nor reproof could prevail to perswade them to the Catholick customs in the observation of Easter Tonsure and some other Ceremonial Rites in Baptism A blind man was brought in and they upon tryal not obtaining of God a Miracle for the confirmation of their practice Tandem Augustinus just a necessitate compulsus c. they are St. Bedes words At length Austin Hist l. 2. ca. 2. forced with just necessity bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ beseeching him that he would restore to the blind man his lost sight and by the corporal illumination of one Spiritual Grace might enlighten many Faithful hearts Hereupon immediately the blind man receives his sight and Austin is extolled by all for a true Preacher of the Supreme Light Then the Britains confess indeed that they perceived it was the true way of righteousness which Austin Preached This I had not specifyed but that I know some English Protestants against all History and common sense derive their Religion from the Ancient Britains Who differ'd only from
the Apostle of the Saxons and his Converts in some few External Rites which afterward in tract of time they generally receiv'd and in the interim acknowledg'd to be worthy of acceptation while the fresh wounds of deeply-resented injuries were the greatest cause of non-conformity One more I cannot pass over in silence because I conceive it such as may much conduce to the conviction and conversion of our Adversaries 'T is to be found in the Life of St. Bernard to this effect In the part of France about Thoulouze L. 3. c. 5. one Henry an Apostate Monk by deceitful words perverting the Souls of many with Heretical Doctrines prevail'd so far that every where thereabouts the Grace of Baptism was denyed Prayers and Oblations for the dead were mock'd at Invocation of Saints derided Excommunications of Priests Pilgrimages of the Faithful building of Churches Consecration of Oyl and Chrisme and all Ecclesiastical Constitutions were despis'd Our cause in England St. Bernard being intreated by the Catholicks sadly lamenting to see so many poor Souls seduced to follow an Apostate as if he had been an Apostle was conquer'd by their Prayers and came thither to hinder the further spreading of so contagious an evil and to try his skill on the infected Where Preaching with wonderful demonstration of Spirit as well as admirable Eloquence he in a short time instructed the Ignorant strengthned the Weak recall'd the Wanderers restored the Subverted put to sil nce the Perverters God confirming his Doctrine with signs following I shall relate but one so home and evident that Cap. 6. l. 3. praed 't is enough to convert and confound all Contradictors During these his travails in the work of an Evangelist being come to the City of Sarlet the Sermon ended they brought to the Servant of God Bread to be blest and distributed among the Faithful as is the custom in Catholick Churches Which he blessing in the Name of God with his hand elevated making the sign of the Cross said By this ye shall know that the Doctrine which we Preach is true and the things which Hereticks would perswade you to are false if your Sick tasting this Bread shall be recover'd A venerable Bishop present fearing the tryal said They shall be healed if they take it believing To whom the Holy man replyed in a full belief of the event I say not so but such as tast it shall be healed and thereby know us to be truly sent of God Whereupon a great company of Diseased persons tasting of the said Bread forthwith recover'd Praying God for such singular manifestations of his Truth and Goodness And the Fame thereof spread round about Now what more express Testimony by Deeds can be given from Heaven for Prayer for the Dead and Mosses for them Invocation of Saints Consecration of Chrisme c. which were then opposed by those Hereticks and now denyed by the Protestants their Successors in false Doctrine against the conviction of Miracles from Heaven And now I have done with this Motive only give me leave to say that if Protestants could produce the like Miracles to attest their Faith and practice they would make the World ring with the noise of them in every place and crying Victory set up their triumphant Banners with this or some such like Inscription or Motto God with us against the Roman Church And then add some such Invective as this in their Popular Sermons See what hard-hearted Wretches the Papists are who wholly given over to a reprobate sense will not acknowledge our Doctrines to be glorious and revealed Truths of Jesus Christ which he hath witnessed for such to the whole World by the thundring voice of Divine Miracles The fifth Motive That the eminent Sanctity taught and practis'd in the Roman Catholick Church not to be found in any Heretical Communions divided from her is a manifest mark that she only is the true Church of Christ SECT I. An Introduction FRom works of Wonder we pass to works of Piety to point out to us the true Church of God which though less admired yet are far more precious as being that Divine Seed the Fruit whereof is eternal Glory For we Spiritual Travellers cannot come to rest our selves in the Heavenly Jerusalem but by walking perseverantly in the path of Holiness Now this Holiness is not to be had but in the true Church whose attribute is not only Catholick but also Holy as we profess in the Creed and distinguishable by it in the Effects from all different Communions whatsoever who though they may cloak their deformity with Angelical appearances yet in reality are Synagogues of Satan having a form of Godliness and denying the power thereof And the truth is though by sad experience I found that the Protestant Church especially that part of it which I judg'd more pure in Doctrine could not lay claim to much Sanctity still crying down the Puritans for meer Hypocrites whose zeal in their way did shine far brighter to dazle vulgar eyes yet such prejudice I had conceiv'd against the Church of Rome by my education in a contrary Religion that I thought her really Antichristian and Holiness to have no more agreement with Her then light with darkness or Christ with Belial So that after the Divine Goodness by strowing Thorns in my indirect ways had made me sensible what a bitter thing it is to forsake Him the Fountain of living Waters for broken Cisterns and had put me upon a serious Inquisition to find out Truth and Holiness to follow Them it was no less wonder then satisfaction to me to meet with such heavenly Doctrine and such holiness of Life in the Roman Catholick Church and no other Communion divided from Her And I plainly discover'd that Protestant Leaders could not detain their followers in Schism and Heresie but by keeping them in ignorance of the right Faith and Worship of the Roman Church and laying to her charge such Doctrines and Practices which are not justly imputable unto Her Yet this Motive was set more home to my heart when my eyes were made happy spectators of some of that innumerable Company of her Members who in the continual exercise of most sublime Spirituality live more like Angels then men though in mortal Bodies But most of all when our Lord was pleased so to shine upon me with the extraordinary light of his countenance as to bless my weak endeavours in following though afar off those Stars of the first Magnitude beautisying his Heaven on Earth in their glorious courses And truly I have from hence such a strong persuasion of Truth to be in the Church of Rome wrought in my Soul that was there no other Motive to confirm me in the Catholick Religion my heart very much deceives me if I should not upon this score rather forgo my life then forsake my present Faith to become a Protestant Thus by the grace of God this wrought on me and that it may work on others I thus
what they are taught and what they profess be eye-witnesses of the Angelical Lives of thousands of Holy persons to their admiration and confusion also if they will not be moved to repentance by such examples And methinks the most understanding Protestatents who acknowledge for glorious Saints many who live and die in the Roman Arms when a Protestant Saint was never heard of and notwithstanding will not tread in their Holy Steps do sufficiently condemn their own practice and in effect say We know the way to Heaven but will not take it SECT III. A further prosecution of this Motive from the new Doctrines and profane Practices of Heretical Communions NO man can be ignorant that the Religion of Protestants doth disclaim against the practice of this super-eminent Sanctity and condemns it in Catholicks as meer Superstition and Will-worship Forgetting or not regarding that 't was first councel'd by our Blessed Saviour Preach'd unto the World by his Apostles and practis'd in all Ages of the Church Indeed for Protestants to have commended it and yet not to follow it was too gross an absurdity to gull the World withall and would have given too palpable a lye to the godly name of Reformation They were resolv'd therefore to enlarge the narrow way to Heaven thus straitned for more security in a business of highest concern by abolishing the glory of Christianity under the pretence of Christian liberty And they easily perswaded themselves that a sense-pleasing Religion back'd by the Secular Power as it was in England by King Henry in its first Introduction and advanced by Temporal Interest in impoverishing the Church to enrich greedy Courtiers would over-ballance in Carnal minds the strict Austerities of Catholick Purity Or to make the best construction of this strange piece of Reformation on the Clergy's part who had a hand in the business when they saw nothing would quench the Avarice of the sensual King but the Revenues devoted for ever to the maintenance of extraordinary Devotion they thought it policy not to withstand his will but to flatter him by palliating the matter with specious colours Especially when they considered that the Rich Bishopricks and Cathedral Preferments might be the better preserved when this auri sacrae fames in the Great ones who were sharers with his Majesty in these Spoils of the Church could not but be appeased by engrossing to themselves so many Rich and Sumptuous Monasteries and Religious Houses the Glory and Envy of our Nation For I am perswaded the Clergy in this change were not all well pleased in this particular And I remember a remarkable saying of Doctor Jackson a Protestant of no mean note sadly complaining in these words or to this effect If three persons in the Sacred Trinity had been as great an eye-soar to us as three Monasteries in every Shire we should have been as well reformed Atheists as reformed Christians But whatever were the Motives of several Interests in erecting a Religion founded on State-policy this is most certain that the Substantial practice of eminent Sanctity was banish'd out of England at the same time with the Catholick Faith Neither was the birth of the Protestant Church in England the death only of super-eminent Holiness but its malevolent influence did cool the fire of true Devotion in all sorts of Christians who gave it any entertainment For no sooner had this tree of Reformation took rooting in our Land but it spread it self into arms and boughs on every side plentifully yielding the bitter Fruits of Dissoluteness Uncharitableness Oppression Envyings Back-bitings Strifes Ignorance of necessary Truths Curiosity in knowledge vain and frothy disputes staggrings in Faith Spiritual Pride contempt of Ecclesiastical Authority Irreligion Profaneness Sacriledge Abuse of Holy things casting off the Sacraments Blasphemies Atheism and in short whatsoever is contrary to true Godliness and Evangelical Precepts of Jesus Christ So bad a tree could not bring forth better Fruits wheresoever once it took sure rooting so notorious and visible to the World that the Arch-reformers themselves could not but confess it and to their shame and conviction have left it upon record to Posterity 'T is fit Luther the first Founder of this new Faith should have the precedency in delivering his Verdict Give him Audience while he tells us that Mundus ex hac Doctrina c. The World by this Doctrine Conâ— 2. Daw. 1. Adventus daily becomes worse Now seven devils are entred into every one who formerly were only possess'd with one Whole troops of Devils now get into mens hearts that in this so glorious light of the Gospel they are more covetous more crafty more unjust more inhumane more stubborn then formerly they were in Popery And observe it that he confesses those evils did proceed from his new Doctrine not occasionally but as the natural fruit of it And if ever he spoke Truth after his Apostacy here we have 't For they that consider what an innundation of evils broke in upon a great part of the Christian World upon his breaking from the Catholick Church and Preaching a new Gospel first in Germany may very well think that now Apoc. 20. 1 2. was the time come For unchaining Satan and Hell was broke loose to torment us mortals here on earth Witness Calvin In exiguo illorum numero c. Amongst the small number of them who have forsaken Popish In c. 11. Dani. v. 34 Idolatry the greatest part of them are full of Perfidiousness and Treacheries They outwardly profess a notable Zeal but if examined inwardly you will find them abounding in deceits Neither indeed could a false Faith bring forth any other but a counterfeit Holiness For these are those Hypocrites whom our Blessed Saviour speaks of That are ravenous Wolves Mat. 7. in Sheaps cloathing that cleanse Mat. 23. 25. the outside of the cup and platter leaving the inside full of rapine and uncleanness Or Like whited Sepulchers ver 27. which appear beautiful to men but within are stuff'd with dead mens bones and putrefaction These are those Reprobates concerning the Faith fore-told by the Apostle Having 2 Tim. 3. 5 c. a form of godliness denying the Power thereof Those Saints of the highest elevation in their own conceits whom St. Jude calls Clouds ver 12. without water darkening only the splendor of the Gospel not making it fruitful in good works by any refreshing influences of real Piety Which the same Calvin discern'd so clearly through these clouds that Comm. in 2. Pet. 2. 1. he confesses Vix eorum decimus c. Hardly the tythe of those who gave their name to the Gospel that is who left the Church of Rome to be of their Religion did it for any other end then to wallow in wantonness more freely without restraint Andreas Musculus affords us likewise as ample a testimony extracted from him by evidence of Truth against his will Quod si veritatem L. de noviss die c.