omitting Personal Contests but inserting whatsoever concerns the common Cause of Protestants or defends the Church of England with an exact Table of Contents and an Addition of some genuine Pieces of Mr. Chillingworth's never before Printed viz. against the Infallibility of the Roman Church Transubstantiation Tradition c. And an Account of what moved the Author to turn Papist with his Confutation of the said Motives An Historical Treatise written by an AUTHOR of the Communion of the CHVRCH of ROME touching TRANSVBSTANTIATION Wherein is made appear That according to the Principles of THAT CHVRCH This Doctrine cannot be an Article of Faith. 40. The Protestant's Companion Or an Impartial Survey and Comparison of the Protestant Religion as by Law established with the main Doctrines of Popery Wherein is shewed that Popery is contrary to Scripture Primitive Fathers and Councils and that proved from Holy Writ the Writings of the Ancient Fathers for several hundred Years and the Confession of the most Learned Papists themselves 40. The Pillar and Ground of Truth A Treatise shewing that the Roman Church falsly claims to be That Church and the Pillar of That Truth mentioned by S. Paul in his first Epistle to Timothy Chap. 3. Vers 15. 4o. The Peoples Right to read the Holy Scripture Asserted 4o. A Short Summary of the principal Controversies between the Church of England and the Church of Rome being a Vindication of several Protestant Doctrines in Answer to a Late Pamphlet Intituled Protestancy destitute of Scripture Proofs 4o. An Answer to a Late Pamphlet Intituled The Judgment and Doctrine of the Clergy of the Church of England concerning one Special Branch of the King's Prerogative viz. In dispensing with the Penal Laws 4o. A Discourse of the Holy Eucharist in the two great Points of the Real Presence and the Adoration of the Host in Answer to the Two Discourses lately Printed at Oxford on this Subject To which is perfixed a Large Historical Preface relating to the same Argument Two Discourses Of Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead The Fifteen Notes of the Church as laid down by Cardinal Bellarmin examined and confuted 4o. With a Table of the Contents Preparation for Death Being a Letter sent to a young Gentlewoman in France in a dangerous Distemper of which she died By W. W. 12o. The Difference between the Church of England and the Church of Rome in opposition to a late Book Intituled An Agreement between the Church of England and Church of Rome A PRIVATE PRAYER to be used in Difficult Times A True Account of a Conference held about Religion at London Sept. 29 1687 between A. Pulton Jesuit and Tho. Tenison D. D. as also of that which led to it and followed after it 4o. The Vindication of A. Cressener Schoolmaster in Long-Acre from the Aspersions of A. Pulton Jesuit Schoolmaster in the Savoy together with some Account of his Discourse with Mr. Meredith A Discourse shewing that Protestants are on the safer Side notwithstanding the uncharitable Judgment of their Adversaries and that Their Religion is the surest Way to Heaven 4o. Six Conferences concerning the Eucharist wherein is shewed that the Doctrine of Transubstantiation overthrows the Proofs of Christian Religion A Discourse concerning the pretended Sacrament of Extreme Vnction with an account of the Occasions and Beginnings of it in the Western Church In Three Parts With a Letter to the Vindicator of the Bishop of Condom The Pamphlet entituled Speculum Ecclesiasticum or an Ecclesiastical Prospective-Glass considered in its False Reasonings and Quotations There are added by way of Preface two further Answers the First to the Defender of the Speculum the Second to the Half-sheet against the Six Conferences A Second Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England against the new Exceptions of Mons de Meaux late Bishop of Condom and his Vindicator The FIRST PART In which the Account that has been given of the Bishop of Meaux's Exposition is fully Vindicated the Distinction of Old and New Popery Historically asserted and the Doctrine of the Church of Rome in Point of Image-worship more particularly considered 40. The Incurable Scepticism of the Church of Rome By the Author of the Six Conferences concerning the Eucharist 40. Mr. Pulton Considered in his Sincerity Reasonings Authorities Or a Just Answer to what he hath hitherto Published in his True Account his True and full Account of a Conference c. His Remarks and in them his pretended Confutation of what he calls Dr. T 's Rule of Faith. By Tho. Tenison D. D. A Full View of the Doctrines and Practices of the Antient Church relating to the Eucharist wholly different from those of the Present Roman Church and inconsistent with the belief of Transubstantiation Being a sufficient Confutation of CONSENSVS VETERVM NVBES TESTIVM and other Late Collections of the Fathers pretending to the Contrary 40. A BRIEF DISCOURSE Concerning the NOTES OF THE CHURCH With some REFLECTIONS on Cardinal BELLARMIN's Notes LICENSED April 6. 1687. JO. BATTELY LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCLXXXVII PAge 11. l. 15. for Character r. Charter and p. 14. l. 8. r. Charter p. 16. l. 12. after Ancient and Apostolick Church add Which is the same with his second Note concerning Antiquity which must refer to the Antiquity of its Doctrine for an Ancient Church tho founded many years since if it have innovated in Doctrine cannot plead Antiquity and a Church founded but yesterday which professes the Ancient Faith may p. 18. l. 6. f. first r. fifth p. 22. l. 14. f. now r. more A BRIEF DISCOURSE Concerning the Notes of the CHURCH c. IF Cardinal Bellarmin had not told us That this is a most profitable Controversie Controv. T. 2. L. 4 de Notis Ecclesiae I should very much have wondered at that pains which he and so many other of their great Divines have taken to find out the Notes of the Church For is not the Catholick Church visible And if we can see which is this Church what need we guess at it by marks and signs and that by such marks and signs too as are matter of dispute themselves Cannot we distinguish between the Christian Church and a Turkish Mosque or Jewish Synagogue or Pagan Temple Cannot we without all this ado distinguish a Christian from a Turk or a Jew or a Pagan And it will be as easie to find out a Christian Church as it is to find out Christians for a Christian Church is nothing else but a Society of Christians united under Christian Pastors for the Worship of Christ and where ever we find such a Society as this there is a Christian Church and all such particular or National Churches all the World over make up the whole Christian Church or the Universal Church of Christ But this will not do the Cardinal's business Though the Christian Church is visible enough yet not such a Church as he
In omnibus Dogmatibus inter se conveniunt all Doctrines Just so the Councils of Constance and Basil decreeing That all Power even the Papal was in things appertaining to Religion to be subject to the Council agreed with the Abolition of the Pragmatick Sanction by the Lateran Council under Leo X by which the Council is made to truckle to the Pope As to which and other Instances of the like sort no help is to be had from that Qualification of Lawful Councils since what the Jesuits will not own to be a Lawful Council is by other Parties in that Church owned to be so And that Church must needs be at wonderful Unity within it self that cannot so much as agree what Councils are Lawful and what are not And yet if they were so agreed their Church-Unity is not to be bragged of when there are enough amongst them to make an unlawful Council and to determin otherwise in a point of so vast Consequence as that above-mentioned than they ought to do For if in the same Communion one Council determines one way and another the contrary way that Communion cannot be said to agree ever the more for one being a lawful and the other an unlawful Council Whereas he pretends that the Decrees of Popes are also at Unity with one another one would expect that in the next place Fire and Water should be brought in for an Example of Agreement too For they may be made to agree as soon as the Decrees of many Popes Leo and Gelasius condemned receiving in one kind De Consecr Dist 2. cap. 12. Have there been no Popes since that condemned the contrary Nicholas IV determined that Christ was a Beggar Extravag Joh. Tit. 14. cap. 4. and had Right to nothing but John XXII comes not long after him and makes it Heretical so to say It has been so frequent a practice for Popes to overthrow the Decrees of their Predecessors that it were endless to recount the particulars As for the Writers which they may justly claim to themselves how Bellarmin should come to fancy such a wonderful Agreement is very strange who in his own Controversies has observed so many notable Differences amongst them De Concil lib. 2. cap. 14. alibi Was it not Bellarmin that observed several Catholick Writers to have agreed with the Hereticks in asserting the Council to be above the Pope And that as those did not agree with themselves so neither did the other side of Canonists and School-men that asserted the contrary And this is no trifling Question neither Such Disagreement is noted by the same Cardinal upon other material Points viz. Concerning the Pope's Temporal Power Whether Vows of single Life are dispensable What Worship may be given to Images Whether Images of God may be made or not Whether Extream Unction and other of their Sacraments were instituted by Christ Whether Intention be necessary to a Sacrament Whether an express purpose of forsaking Sin be necessary to Contrition Whether good Works be truly meritorious And concerning many more Questions in most of which some or other of themselves have held as Protestants do against the rest of their Church Not to insist upon the Disputes between the Thomists the Scotists and the Occamists which were not all about Trifles the Question between the Dominicans and Franciscans about the Conception of the Virgin was by themselves esteemed of such Consequence that there have been Revelations about it against Revelations and if we will believe them Miracles against Miracles To which we may add the flaming Contentions between the Jansenists and the Molinists See Veteres Vindicat. c. 10. both which grew to such a height that it has been all along almost as dangerous to the Interest of the Roman Church to let their Controversies go on as to go about to decide them I confess the Divinity of the New Methodists the French Expositor and the English Representer has as yet occasioned but little disturbance in that Communion for which I know a good Reason But this I will say that if their New-Popery can in all Points be received with the Old See Defence of Exp. of the Doctrine of the Ch. of England p. 90. I do not see but from this time forward their Unity may be inviolable now that they have got the Knack of making Contradictions agree with one another But to all such Instances as these Bellarmine hath supplied them with a ready Answer That they differ not in those things that belong to Faith. Upon which cautious Answer one would be apt to enquire how nearly a Question in Religion must be allied to the Faith before it may be said to belong to it The Cardinal himself tells us now and then of something held by Catholicks that is fere haereticum as he calls it almost heretical in which case the Question should be also almost of Faith and may be said to belong to it But if he means simply that they all agree in Matters of Faith as he says afterward and that all Catholicks say the same thing about Doctrines of Faith as we were told before we are willing to hear him But then we expect that the Church of England the Lutherans and the Calvinists should be heard too when to the Papists charging them with some Differences they make the same Answer that they have all the same Faith especially since when they come to prove the Truth of what they say they will shew that the Matters wherein they differ do not break the Unity of the Catholick Faith which is something a better Argument than the Cardinal produces for the Unity of his Party in matters of Faith viz. that they all profess to believe that which shall be judged necessary to be believed in the Roman Catholick Church For to say no more to this at present notwithstanding this Profession we are very sure that some of them take those things to be matters of Faith which others do not if we may believe them of which the Infallibility of the Pope and the Deposing Doctrine are notorious and undeniable Instances But now if by the Vnion of the Members should be meant such a Union as will hinder the separation of some from the rest then this Note must not by any means be pretended to in the Church of Rome from which so many Churches that once were in Communion with her have broken away Indeed he does not expresly say that he means this by the Union of the Members among themselves but some such thing he must mean or else by virtue of this Note he does impertinently run down the Lutherans as being Hereticks because they have begotten so many Sects which as he pretends charge each other with Heresy And then it may as truly be said that the Church of Rome in whose Communion we were before the Reformation wants the Mark of Unity because so many have broken away from her as that any other Churches want it because some
Constance and Trent that 't was the ancient Practice For the Doctrine of Transubstantiation See a Treatise of Transubstantiation by one in the Communion of the Church of Rome Printed 1687. one of the Communion of the Church of Rome hath given us an Account lately he proves from many Doctors of the Church of Rome that it is not ancient viz. from Peter Lombard from Suarez Scotus the Bishop of Cambray Cardinal Cusanus Erasmus Alphonsus à Castro Tonstall and Cassander And that 't is not taught in the holy Scriptures he proves from the Testimonies of Scotus Ockam Gabriel Biel and Cardinal Cajetan and after all that it was not the Doctrine of the Fathers of the Church It would have been very fit I should here have made an end having considered every thing which the Cardinal hath offered as to this Note of the Church But there is a late Writer I will not call him Author hath taken the Confidence to produce the Testimony of the Jewish Writers in behalf of the Church of Rome Mr. Sclater's Consenf Vet. and which is most surprising of all he quotes the Rabbins in Defence of the Doctrine of Transubstantiation which they are as far from asserting as he is from understanding them The Cardinal was too learned and modest to attempt any thing of this Nature but this Gentleman advanceth higher than he thought fit to do What he offers speaks nothing so lowdly as the Writers Effrontery and Ignorance not to say something worse Tho he thought fit to desert his Mother the Church of England yet it little became him to fly in her Face and suborn a Rout of Jews against her His Discourse is so weak that I shall bestow very little time and pains about it I shall however say something to it that he may not think any Part of his Pamphlet unanswered and do heartily wish him Repentance for his Folly and that he may learn Modesty for the future And for my better proceeding in this matter I shall do these things First I will briefly shew the true use and value of the Testimony of Jews as to the Christian Religion Secondly I shall shew the gross Ignorance not to say Dishonesty of this Writer in this Matter Thirdly I shall prove that the Jewish Writers are so far from serving the Church of Rome that they bear witness against it and that also in this very matter of Transubstantiation First I shall consider how far the Testimony of the Jews is useful to Christianity And several such there are that serve the common Christianity 1. The Jews as to matter of Fact confess that there was such a Man as Jesus that he wrought wonderful Works They do in their Talmud and elsewhere mention several of those Names which are mentioned in the New Testament and are there mentioned to have been at the same time in which they are placed there This is an useful Testimony and serves the common Christianity and saves us the labour in our Books against the Jews of proving these Matters of Fact. 2. They are also good Witnesses as to the Number of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament which were deposited in their Hands This is owned by Cardinal Cajetan who affirms that this is one Advantage we receive from the Obstinacy of the Jews Cajetan in Rom. xi v. 11. that tho they believe not in Christ themselves yet they approve the Books of the Old Testament and therefore those Books cannot be supposed to have been invented by the Christians to have served their turn This Testimony of theirs serves indeed the common Christianity but is so far from serving the Church of Rome that it is a good Evidence against the Council of Trent who have receiv'd those Books for Canonical which the Jews never received into the Canon of Scripture 3. They are good Witnesses of the Promise of a Messias which is reckoned among the Fundamental Articles of the Jewish Faith. And this is an other Advantage that Christians receive as Cajetan well observes in the Place mentioned before from the Obstinacy of the Jews Abravenel C. Fidei c. 1. They agree that such a Promise was made and that therefore it cannot be supposed either a Forgery of the Christians or a vain Belief peculiar only to them 4. They are good Witnesses where they interpret those Texts of the Old Testament of the Messias which belong to that matter and which are by the Writers of the New Testament applied to that purpose And the more ancient Jews do thus The Chaldee Paraphrasts and other of the more ancient Jewish Doctors do apply those Texts to him which the Christians also understand to be spoken of him Of which were it not too great a Digression it would be easy to produce very many Proofs This serves the common Christianity greatly and in our Disputes against the Jews affords us very great Advantages 5. Nor do I deny but that some of the Catholick Doctrines of the Christian Religion I mean such as have been always believed from the first Beginning of Christianity may receive some Confirmation from the Writings of the most antient Jewish Doctors But to produce them as Witnesses as this Writer does to a Doctrine never received by the antient Church is the most extravagant thing imaginable Secondly I shall shew the gross Ignorance not to say Dishonesty of this Writer in this matter His Author from whom he borrows all his Rabbinical Learning is Galatinus He tells if we will believe him that he was always accounted a very learned Man Preface to Consens Veterum It would have been more to his purpose to have vouched for his Honesty After this he falls into a Fit of Devotion he is of a sudden transported with Admiration that the Hebrew Writers long before Christ's time take Mr. Sclater's word for that should have such Notions But the Wind bloweth were it listeth c. He might have staid till he had been sure of the matter of Fact and then 't would have been time enough to admire at it But the Reader is to know that Mr. Sclater was mightily inclined to believe in this matter with the Church of Rome or else Galatinus could never by his Arguments have prevailed upon him This appears from his own Words after he had drawn up his Evidence from Galatinus P. 27. he tells his Reader that Galatinus thought and I 'le assure you 't is hard to say what a Jew that professeth himself a Convert to the Church of Rome does really think these Prophecies and Interpretations he might have called them Dreams and Figments argumentative not only against the Jews but a Confirmation also of the Christian Religion against all Hereticks c. But if you ask Mr. Sclater what confirms him in this Belief you 'le find him not hard to believe I am confirmed says he by the Title-page of his Book Of so great force is the Title-page of Galatinus his Book with Mr. Sclater of
England to settle all and reconcile the Nation to the Church of Rome These things were so well known that Strada the Jesuit after a Narrative of this lamentable Overthrow for fear it should be made use of to the disadvantage of his Catholick Cause as if Almighty God had manifestly favoured the Hereticks in the conclusion of all effectually confutes this last Note of Bellarmin's For when he had intimated what an Unhappiness it was to the Queen and Her Subjects that they had not the good Luck to be conquered as the Pope and the Spaniard had most lovingly designed Neque se magis pios venditare potuerint quia fortunatiores fuêre nisi forte c. he tells us that the English could not therefore boast they were the more Holy because they had been the more Fortunate unless perhaps they should think the Misbelief of the Saracens and Turks were to be preferred before the Christian Religion because in many successful Engagements they had often defeated the Forces which the Christians had with much labour brought together To this we willingly agree and are glad that our Cause does not stand in need of such weak Supports But then if good Success will not be allowed to make for us when it is on our Side there can be no reason it should be brought as an Argument against us when it happens to be on Theirs After this it would be superfluous to reckon up any more of Queen Elizabeth's Felicities he that would undertake to recount them all must write the History of her Reign And whoever is acquainted with that will find it true what Anne D'est Dutchess of Guise and Nemours to whose House the Queen had been no Friend was wont ingenuously to acknowledg That she was the most Glorious and Fortunate Woman that ever swayed a Scepter Thuan. lib. 129. This Testimony which was given her by so great a Person that could not possibly be suspected of Flattery is very considerable but the Character that was bestowed upon her by King James the First some time before he succeeded her in the Throne is greater than this and more to be valued because of the Impartiality and Wisdom of the Royal Author His Words concerning her are these There is a LAWFVL QVEEN there in England presently reigning K. James his Works p. 147. who hath so long with so great Wisdom and Felicity governed her Kingdoms as I must in trew Sincerity confess the like hath not been read nor heard either in our Time or since the Days of the Roman Emperour Augustus The Authority of so great and wise a Prince may be enough not only to secure her Memory from the malicious Attempts of envious trifling Pens but to put the Happiness and Prosperity of her Government out of question And if Bellarmin's Note of Temporal Felicity might be suffered to take place her Example alone would be sufficient to prove the Church of England the true Church and the Imputations of Heresy and Schism which are wont to be urged with so much Clamour must by Consequence be retorted upon His. But I hope I have shewed that this can be no Note that if it were the Instances he has brought do not prove what he would have and that others may be pleaded as plausibly for the contrary side And indeed any that considers it must needs wonder that the Cardinal's Mind should be so blinded with Worldly Success and Greatness or whatever it were as to cause him in the last Place where we might have expected his greatest Strength to put in such a frivolous Note that may be easily turned a thousand several ways that will fit the Alcoran as well as the Council of Trent and at best makes his Church altogether as various and uncertain as the Fortune of War. I should here have made an end but that I have met with a late Writer that undertakes to shew the Vse and great Moment of the Notes of the Church c. And he tells us that Cardinal Bellarmine after others hath Pag. 1. to very good purpose lent his helping Hand to shew us the City on a Hill and hath given us Marks which one would think carry Majesty in their Faces And a while after he imagines that the Author of the Discourse concerning the Notes of the Church Pag. 3. durst not let them pass by us in their Majestick Train lest his Reader with Saba 's Queen should be daz'led at the Glory transported as she was that there was no Life in her For says he they seem to a single not malignant Eye even triumphant Notes of the militant Church And then he leads them out in great State Pag. 4. as he thinks As first Let me have leave to reckon them Ay with all my Heart well then The Name Catholick how sacred to all those who own any of the three Creeds really and veritably The Second its Antiquity How indubitable and above all suspition of Novelty And so he goes on and shews them all in good Order till he comes to the three last and there he draws the Curtain as if he were afraid any Body should see their Majestick Faces Pag. 5. To say nothing concerning the Confession of Adversaries and unhappy Exit of the Churches Enemies Here are two of the Number which he does but just give us a little glimpse of and then pops 'em away presently out of sight But poor Temporal Felicity is served worst of all it has not the Honour to be so much as named he has not bestowed one Syllable upon it though I take it to be as Triumphant a Note as any of the rest But for all that it was cunningly done to drop it for he could not choose but be aware that the Hereticks might sometimes pretend to a share of it Now when he had given us such a view of the Majestick Train as he thought fit he concludes the Paragraph with an artificial Epiphonema adorned with a very Pathetical Ingemination These These are the NOTES which like a Bill in Parliament deserve what a second Reading Parturiunt Montes O the virtue of Butler's Rhetorick But really I am afraid that These These NOTES These Triumphant NOTES as they are by him drawn up would be so far from being thought worthy of a second Reading that they would certainly be thrown out of the House However I have look'd steadily upon them more than once as they are represented by him and as they are laid down in the Cardinal 's Original and I have not yet been able to discover the Majesty one would think they carry in their Faces but in my Opinion some of their Faces would have been a great deal better if they had had any Foreheads I have carefully beheld their Majestick Train in its full length and yet never fell in a Swoon with Saba's Queen nay I have not had so much as the least Qualm of Fear or Admiration upon me and my Eyes were so far
own Authors 11. The Glory of Miracles These alone were never a Note of the true Church And those extraordinary Gifts which were bestowed at first for the Confirmation of Christianity we think they are ceased long ago But we are forewarned of False Christs and false Prophets Mat. 24.24 which should shew great Signs and Wonders which me-thinks should make a Church very careful how they made any pretension to Miracles But the Church of Rome is resolved to do it and would fain perswade us that there are many great Ones wrought among them to this very Day and as they believe always will be But we know and they will not deny it that many of the Miracles they have talked of are meer Forgeries and Delusions others altogether incredible and but weakly attested and wholly unworthy of the Seriousness and Gravity of the Christian Religion most of them said to be done in Corners and are never to be seen but among themselves When they please to oblige us Protestants with the sight of a few of them they may then deserve to be farther considered till that be done they must give us leave to think that their Church is reduced to great Streights when it shall stand in need of such slight Artifices as these to support it 12. The Light of Prophecy This if they had it can bring no more Advantage to their Cause than the other The Church of God anciently when extraordinary Revelations were more common had not always Prophets in it And when any appeared the Prophet was to be tryed by the Faith of the Church and not the Church by the Predictions of the Prophet And we are still commanded to try the Spirits whether they are of God 1 Joh. 4.1 Because many false Prophets are gone out into the World. 13. The Confession of Adversaries This if the Cardinal's Instances were pertinent would yet be but of little Consequence for if some Protestants have spoken favourably of his Catholicks some of his Catholicks have spoken favourably of Protestants Or if we should be willing to hope well of some of them as we are and they should adjudge us every one to Eternal Damnation as they generally do this would be but an ill sign that their Church must therefore be the truer because it is more Censorious and Uncharitable than Ours 14. The Vnhappy End of the Church's Enemies A wise Man would be something afraid of passing this into a Note before he was himself safe in his Grave For all things come alike to all Eccl. 9.2 there is one Event to the Righteous and to the Wicked Many of the most Zealous Patrons of the Romish Persuasion have met with as Tragical and Unfortunate Ends as the most accursed Heretick that ever was devoured by Vermin or burnt at a Stake 15. Temporal Felicity This may be placed in the same Rank with the former it is altogether as variable and inconstant as that no certain Judgment can be made upon it They are not to learn that the Enemies of their Church have been often successful and that Victory has not always waited upon their Catholick Arms no not in their most Holy Wars when Religion has been the only ground of the Quarrel Thus upon a Review of all the Notes in order as they are mustered up by the great Cardinal it may appear to any unprejudiced Enquirer that he has missed of his Aim For that they are either no Notes of a Church at all or not proper to that of Rome And now after the highest Pretences of an Infallible Church and the absolute Deference and Submission which they say is due unto it any Man that shall seriously consider the Matter must needs wonder they should have no surer means at last to find it out than a few slight and improbable nay some of them very vain false and extravagant Conjectures The Protestants whom they will not allow to be certain of any thing have far better Evidences than these and as good Assurances of the Truth of their Church as can be desired For we think the True Faith True Worship and a Right Administration of the Sacraments do unquestionably make a True Church These the Romanists themselves cannot deny to be the great and necessary Notes and if the Controversy betwixt us come to be determined by these it will soon appear which Communion we ought to prefer We make Profession of the whole Catholick Apostolick Faith as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures and briefly comprized in the three Creeds which is all that was ever received in the Primitive Church They have made large Additions to the Antient Belief and increased the number of the Articles from Twelve to Four and Twenty many of which were not so much as heard of in the First Ages and never made necessary to be believed till above fifteen hundred Years after the Publication of the Gospel We Worship Almighty God and none but him and unto him we Pray in a Language we understand through Jesus Christ our only Mediator in whose Name when we ask we are sure to be heard They have a kind of Worship which they give to Saints and Images which as to all External Acts of Adoration is the very same they pay to God himself and when their Addresses are directed unto Him all their Publick Service is in an unknown Tongue and they set up to themselves many Mediatours of Intercession when they cannot tell whether they hear them but it is most certain that God has never promised to hear them for their Sakes We receive the two Sacraments which Christ ordained in his Church and administer them both in such Manner and Form as he has appointed They without any Divine Authority have made Seven Sacraments and in the Lord's Supper they believe that there is offered up a proper Propitiatory Sacrifice for the Living and the Dead they adore the Elements which they think are Transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of our Saviour and suffer the Laity to communicate but in one kind robbing them of the Cup contrary to the plain Institution and express Command of our Blessed Lord. And since we have the True Faith True Worship and the Sacraments rightly Administred it is evident that we are not deficient in any thing that is necessary to the Constitution of a True Church But They will never be able to prove themselves such a One by the late Additions they have made to the Creed and their many Deviations from the Primitive Rule And yet they will be continually vaunting that they are not only a True Church but the only True Church in the World and upon this Presumption they thunder out their Anathema's upon all Christendom besides and confidently condemn them for a Company of Heretical and Schismatical Conventicles But they cannot justify that rash and uncharitable Sentence nor make good any part of this heavy Charge For we that heartily believe all the Antient Creeds cannot be accused of Heresy neither are we guilty of Schism because we only Reformed those Errors and Corruptions which they had introduced and wanted not sufficient Authority for what was done But if they are still absolutely resolved to stand to the Censure they have passed and allow no True Church upon Earth but their Own it is not Cardinal Bellarmin's Fifteen Notes that will ever prove it FINIS ERRATA Pag. 367. l. 3. for not r. most P. 371. Marg. l. ult for cap. 3. r. 13. LONDON Printed by J. D. for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. BOOKS lately printed for Richard Chiswell THE Pillar and Ground of Truth A Treatise shewing that the Roman Church falsly claims to be That Church and the Pillar of That Truth mentioned by St. Paul in his First Epistle to Timothy Chap. 3. Vers 15.4o. The Peoples Right to read the Holy Scripture Asserted 4o. A Short Summary of the Principal Controversies between the Church of England and the Church of Rome being a Vindication of several Protestant Doctrines in Answer to a Late Pamphlet Intituled Protestancy destitute of Scripture Proofs 4o. Two Discourses of Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead An Answer to a late Pamphlet Intituled The Judgment and Doctrine of the Clergy of the Church of England concerning one Special Branch of the King's Prerogative viz. In dispensing with the Penal Laws 4o. A PRIVATE PRAYER to be used in Difficult Times 8o.